Punjab govt announces Rs 10,000 cr dev plan for villages

Punjab government today announced a development plan of Rs 10,000 crore for 13,047 villages in the state, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said.
Administering oath of office to newly elected 2,731 members of 146 Panchayat Samitis and 331 members of 22 Zila Parishads here, Badal said as per Rural Development Department plan, all villages would see a total facelift in the next four years.
Badal said that under the plan, villages will get concrete sub lanes, water and sewerage connectivity, sewerage disposal and solid waste disposal facilities.
Optimum utilisation of development plan will be ensured and e-tendering of all works including computerisation of village records and accounts will be done, he said.

13,000 cyber suwidha kiosks will be set up in the villages where 13 services like electricity and water bills, telephone and mobile bills, mobile recharge, lodging complaints about water supply, sewerage and power and any disruption in tubewell water or canal water will be available.
It was for the first time toilets were being constructed in all villages, the deputy chief minister said.

Lauding the role of Revenue Department for computerisation of land records, Sukhbir said even Finance Commission and Planning Commission have requested the state government to provide details of this model for implementation in other states.
Congratulating the newly elected rural representatives, he said Punjab has set an example before the whole country by successfully and peacefully completing the polls to all the three tiers of Panchayati Raj System.

Announcing fresh survey to include remaining eligible beneficiaries in the Atta-Daal scheme, Badal said Punjab was the first state to address the problem of food security amid spiralling price rise.