Shimla, Aug 17 (IANS): Asserting that the time for change has come in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday urged the people of the hill state to follow the example of Punjab and elect a pro-people and result-oriented government in the upcoming assembly polls.

Addressing a gathering here, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia, said the time has come when the people of Himachal should make a choice between the 'performance' of AAP, which is working tirelessly and lip service of traditional parties, who have ruined the country.

Mann said the situation in Himachal Pradesh is not different from that of Punjab, prior to March 2022, as there had been a bi-polar contest between traditional parties.

But as these parties always duped the people by plundering tax payer's money, the people of Punjab threw them out.

The winds of change brought transformation in Punjab as people voted for the AAP overwhelmingly and 92 MLAs won in the state.

He asserted that the stalwarts of traditional parties like former Chief Minister's Parkash Singh Badal, Capt Amarinder Singh and Charanjit Singh Channi, along with former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Bikram Singh Majithia and Navjot Singh Sidhu lost from their strongholds very badly.

Mann predicted that the same scenario is likely toA emerge in Himachal after the polls and AAP will form government in state.AA

Training his guns on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister, slammed him for condemning the welfare schemes of government by terming them as freebies.

But the Prime Minister had extended largesse worth several lakh crores to his friends, said Mann.

He reminded the people that Rs 15 lakh promised by Modi in every account has not yet come but people have suffered a lot due to unplanned demonetization. He also hit out at the Prime Minister for failing to check rise in prices of essential goods.

Listing the initiatives taken by the Aam Aadmi Party-led government in Punjab, the Chief Minister said that several path-breaking initiatives have been taken by the state government for progress of state and prosperity of people.

He said that it is on record that 50,000 acres of prime government land has been encroached by influential people in state. Out of this, 9,000 acres have been already reclaimed and rest will be freed from illegal encroachment soon.

The Chief Minister further said the Aam Aadmi government has opened 100 Aam Aadmi clinics in the state.

Mann said 41 packages with around 100 clinical tests are being offered to the people free of cost in these clinics.

He envisioned that these clinics will be a cornerstone in revamping the healthcare system in Punjab adding that 90 per cent of patients will get treated from these clinics only thereby reducing the burden in hospitals.