Jalandhar, Jan. 12 -- Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann distributed appointment letters to 1,746 newly hired police constables from the district and armed cadres at the PAP Ground in Jalandhar on Sunday. Addressing the gathering, Mann said the mass induction will not only strengthen the Punjab Police but also reinforce a clear message of merit-based, transparent recruitment. Tasking the newly inducted force with a decisive role in the fight against drugs, cyber crime and gangsters, Mann said it was a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that some youngsters had secured two or even three government jobs during the tenure of this government. "As many as 63,027 young people have received government jobs so far during AAP regime so far," he claimed. Stressing that these appointments were not a favour, the chief minister said the youth of Punjab deserved these jobs purely on the basis of their calibre. Unfortunately, previous governments never cared for them, he said. "I hope that you will use your positions to help the needy and underprivileged. Your duty is to ensure maximum public welfare so that every section of society benefits. These recruitments have been conducted through a completely transparent process, with candidates selected only after clearing competitive examinations," said Mann. Highlighting the strengthening of the police force, he said in the last four years, 10,264 youth had been recruited into various ranks of the Punjab Police so as to safeguarded the unity and integrity of the nation and maintained peace in this border state. "Being a border state, Punjab continues to face serious challenges. Our police force is confronting them with dedication and commitment. There are continuous attempts by neighbouring countries to mislead our youth and push Punjab back into the dark era of terrorism, and these attempts will not be allowed to succeed," he said. Mann added that the second phase of the Yudh Nashian Virudh campaign had now been launched. "We will not rest until the drug menace is completely eradicated from Punjab. To meet emerging challenges, it is essential that the police force is constantly upgraded with advanced investigation methods, science, and technology," he said. Mann affirmed that Punjab was the first state in the country to launch the anti-drone system, deployed in the rural districts of Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Amritsar, to firmly check cross-border supply of drugs, arms and explosives. "We are also actively tackling cyber crime, and Punjab's state cyber crime wing has won the Excellence Award-2025 at the Digital Evidence Summit-2025 in New Delhi," he said....