Rs 429.95 cr sanctioned for border, kandi areas in Punjab

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today approved Rs 429.95 crore plan for the development of border districts and Kandi areas (sub-mountainous) of the state.
Presiding over separate meetings with the SAD-BJP MLAs from 16 assembly seats of Fazilka, Ferozepur, Taran Taran, Amritsar and Gurdaspur border districts and 17 seats of Kandi districts of Mohali, Roopnagar, Nawanshahar, Hoshiarpur and Pathankot here, Badal asked the concerned Deputy Commissioners to immediately finalise the proposals for seeking funds under Border Areas Development Fund (BADP) and Kandi Area Development Fund (KADF).
The Chief Minister allotted funds to the tune of Rs 247 crore and Rs 182.95 crore for the various schemes to be implemented under 13th Finance Commission respectively.

Badal asked the concerned MLAs to accord top priority to the needs of the general masses to ensure funds must percolate at the grass roots level.
At the same time, the CM impressed upon representatives of the people to ensure utmost transparency and accountability in the utilization of these funds so that these were spent judiciously for the welfare and betterment of the people of border and Kandi areas, an official statement said here.
It was also decided in the meeting to earmark at least 10 per cent of these funds to provide 24-hour domestic power supply on the urban pattern to the 'dhanis' consisting of minimum three households in the kandi and border areas.

Badal also asked the MLAs to prioritize the works of drinking water, sewerage, and repair of hospitals, schools and colleges in their proposals for seeking funds under BADP and KADP.
He also directed the Deputy Commissioners to get estimates of development works checked and verified thoroughly by an officer not below the rank of Superintending Engineer.
Responding to the demand of the MLAs of the Kandi areas for launching the lift irrigation scheme instead of the conventional tube wells, the chief minister asked the secretary, Irrigation to explore the possibility of lift irrigation, drip and sprinkler in this low rainfall-zone so as to ensure adequate irrigation facilities to the farmers.