Chandigarh, May 20 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday urged the state government's newly recruited employees to become foot soldiers in the "crusade" against the twin menace of corruption and drugs.

At an event to hand over appointment letters to 450 people for several departments, he said it is the bounden duty of these young recruits as an integral part of the government to contribute wholeheartedly to the effort.

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He expressed hope that the newly recruited employees would leverage their positions to support the underprivileged and ensure the welfare of all.

Mann said his government has provided 54,142 jobs to youths over the past three years.

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Chastising the previous governments for "looting" the state's wealth, the AAP leader claimed that his administration has taken decisive steps to eliminate corruption in every form and ensured the delivery of citizen-centric services.

"It is immensely satisfying that around 55,000 youth have been selected for government posts purely on merit. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to reverse migration and prevent brain drain by opening new opportunities for young people in the state," Mann said.

The chief minister claimed that earlier governments "failed" to act and let the system "deteriorate", forcing youth to look abroad for opportunities.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)