Punjab Assembly passes resolution against Centre's Agnipath defence recruitment scheme

The Punjab Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution against the Agnipath recruitment scheme, a move opposed by the opposition BJP. Punjab has become the first state in the country to pass a resolution against the Agnipath recruitment scheme.

While moving the resolution in the Assembly, Punjab Chief minister Bhagwant Mann said that the unilateral announcement of the Agnipath scheme by the government of India has witnessed widespread reactions in all states, including Punjab.

"The Punjab Vidhan Sabha strongly feels that the scheme where youth will be employed only for a period of four years for only up to 25 percent will be retained is neither in the best interests of national security nor of the youth of this country," the resolution said.

Mann said, "This policy (Agnipath) is likely to create dissatisfaction among the youth who wish to serve the armed forces of the nation for a lifetime."

In June, the Punjab CM had asked the central government for an



immediate rollback of the Agnipath scheme. He also said that all the states should pass resolutions against the Centre’s new military defence recruitment scheme.

The resolution further said that more than one lakh soldiers from Punjab served in the armed forces of the nation and many of them give the supreme sacrifice of their life on the borders of the country every year.

"The youth of Punjab consider serving in the Indian Armed Forces as a matter of pride and honour and renowned for their valour and courage.This scheme has crushed the dreams of many youths of Punjab who have been aspiring to join the armed forces as regular soldiers," the resolution said.

The resolution said that the "scheme also has the propensity to beacon the long standing espirit-de- corps of the armed forces".

The house through the resolution also recommended the state government to take up the matter with the Union government in order to roll back the Agnipath scheme immediately.