Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday said his government’s objective was not to turn Punjab into London or Paris, but to restore the state to the prosperous and vibrant Punjab of the past. He also said government jobs under the AAP government were being provided without money, political recommendations or nepotism.Mann was addressing a Lok Milni programme at Jindbari village in the Anandpur Sahib Assembly constituency. During the programme, he interacted with 20 youths from Jindbari who had recently secured government jobs. The youths appeared on stage and said they had secured their appointments without paying any money or seeking political recommendations.The Chief Minister himself asked the selected candidates whether they had needed any ‘sifarish’ (recommendation) from anyone to secure their jobs. The interaction was used by Mann to underline his government’s claim of maintaining transparency in recruitment.Mann said corruption had been rampant in government recruitment during the earlier SAD-BJP government. Targeting the Congress, he alleged that its leaders were now fighting among themselves for the Chief Minister’s post. “Bhagwant Mann is fighting for Punjab, while they are fighting for power,” he said.He said that before entering politics, he had been a successful actor but had sacrificed his career and financial interests for the people of Punjab.Mann also claimed that his government had taken several measures aimed at improving the lives of ordinary people, including providing financial assistance to around 80 lakh women under the Mawan Dhiyan scheme. Under the scheme, beneficiaries receive Rs 1,000 or Rs 1,500 per month.The Chief Minister said the canal irrigation system had been revived and claimed that Punjab had dramatically improved its position in the ranking of government schools, rising from 27th place to first. He also claimed that Punjab had surpassed Kerala in terms of government-school infrastructure.Taking a swipe at the traditional political elite, Mann said leaders of the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had generally educated their children in convent schools and, therefore, could not understand the difficulties faced by children studying in government schools.Mann also attacked SAD over its political positioning, alleging that the party had initially criticised BJP but was now seeking an alliance with it. He alleged that BJP had taken control of gurdwaras in Haryana and at Hazur Sahib, and was now seeking an alliance with SAD.In a pointed reference to political dynasties, Mann said parties such as the Congress and SAD were dependent on nepotism and that their leaders were primarily concerned about their families. Referring to the Congress, he compared the party to a 90-year-old person nearing the end of its life.He also took a dig at family politics, referring to SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal. “When his father did not make him Chief Minister, why should people make him Chief Minister?” he said.Mann said AAP had also demonstrated its political strength outside Punjab, referring to its performance in Rajasthan, where he claimed the party had won a majority of the seats it contested.On healthcare, the Chief Minister said the state government had introduced a free health-card scheme under which every resident could avail themselves of treatment worth up to Rs 10 lakh. Thousands of people, he claimed, were already benefiting from the scheme.Earlier, Punjab Education Minister and Anandpur Sahib MLA Harjot Singh Bains said the constituency had witnessed unprecedented development under the AAP government. He said bridges costing around Rs 100 crore were under construction to connect villages in the Bela region.