CHANDIGARH: If you pledge to be off drugs, you can get a job in Punjab from a prospective Congress government in Punjab. 12 lakh youngsters have now signed upon this unique pledge in the last eight days in what the Congress is terming as a gamechanger in the closely fought election in Punjab next year.This is being seen as Congress answer to Aam Aadmi Party whose chief Arvind Kejriwal has promised 25 lakh jobs in Punjab if AAP comes to power. Maximum registrations at 1.34 lakh for the Congress jobs scheme so far have come from Sangrur , an AAP stronghold from where Bhagwant Mann is the MP, Captain Amarinder Singh’s home ground Patiala (1.2L), Ludhiana (1.2 L), Jalandhar (1.04 L) and Bathinda (75,626).“I promise I will remain free from drugs and make my family drug-free too,” is the pledge in Punjabi a youth has to sign before given a ‘Berozgari Bhatta Card’ with a promise to get a job or an unemployment allowance of Rs 2500 a month for three years till a job is given.The budget envisioned by Congress for the exercise is a whopping Rs 10000 Cr, expecting 40 lakh registrations. 3 lakh households in Punjab have no earning family member, the Congress says. Akali Dal while coming to power in 2012 had promised 10 lakh jobs. Congress says it has been a hollow promise as only 36000 jobs were given till 2015 while employment exchanges in Punjab have been able to place only 35034 people from 2007 till 2013.“The unemployment rate among women in Punjab (19%) was more than double compared to the rest of India (7.7%). Almost 72% of the job seekers in Punjab are educated,” a Congress leader said.Earlier, 30 lakh youngsters have signed up for a free smartphone from a Congress government in Punjab.“It is hilarious to promise a job on pre-condition of a person not taking to drugs…how will Congress monitor this? AAP promise is simple and straight-forward – 25 lakh jobs and job opportunities,” a senior AAP leader said. An Akali Dal leader scoffed at both AAP and Congress promise: “It is impossible to create 25 lakh or more jobs.”Congress strategist Prashant Kishor’s team is executing the exercise amidst a bitter fight for tickets in Delhi . 61 candidates given tickets are leading the exercise to get the forms filled in their constituencies while in rest of the districts, 2,400 volunteers trained by I-PAC are setting up camps and going door-to-door for the same.