Swachh Gram Abhiyan: District panel to select best panchayats

Punjab government has constituted a four-member committee in each district for selecting three best gram panchayats which would be awarded under Swachh Gram Abhiyan Scheme.
The scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for improving the levels of cleanliness in rural areas through solid and liquid waste management activities.
The committees would select gram panchayats which perform excellently for improvement of the general quality of life in rural areas by promoting cleanliness, hygiene and eliminating open defecation, an official spokesperson of the Rural Development and Panchayat Department said today.
The state government has announced awards of Rs 5 lakh, Rs 3 lakh and Rs 2 lakh for the top three Gram Panchayats in each district.

Deputy Commissioner of respective districts would be the Chairperson of the committee, with Districts Development and Panchayat officer, Block Development and Panchayat officer and Executive Engineer of Water Supply and Sanitation Department would be the members of the committee.
The state government has provided Rs 2.20 crore under this scheme during the current financial year, the spokesperson said.