Sukhbir Administers Oath To 2731 Newly Elected Members Of 146 Panchayat Samitis
331 Members Of 22 Zila Parishads Also Sworn In
5 Dariya News
Ludhiana 19-Jul-2013
Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister, Punjab today called upon grass root rural representatives to become active partners in the progress to percolate the gains of development to the remote villages of the state so that every village of the state could become an engine of growth.Announcing Rs. 10000 crore development plan after administering oath of office to newly elected 2731 members of 146 Panchayat Samitis and 331 members of 22 Zila Parishads, Mr. Badal said that now electorates have become mature and they are not bothered about anti incumbency factor. Mr. Badal said that it was reflection of mature democracy that electorates of Punjab have decided to elect the performers and reject the non-performers. Mr. Badal said that all of you have been given sacred responsibility by the people of your village and now it is imperative for you to live up to the promises made to the electorate during your elections. Mr. Badal said that Punjab Government has finalized a massive development plan of Rs. 10000 crore for 13047 villages of the state and in next four years as per the phased plan drawn out by the Rural Development Department, all villages would see a total facelift.
Mr. Badal said that he envisioned villages as engine of rural growth that would translate into overall growth of the state. He said that keeping this thing in mind he has finalized over Rs. 10000 crore development plan for all village under which in a phased manner total development of the village chosen for that phase would be undertaken in one go. He said that development plan of villages would envisage concrete sub lanes, 100% water and sewerage connectivity, sewerage disposal and solid waste disposal plans besides relining of ponds of the villages. He said that to ensure optimum utilization of massive development plan, he has ordered e-tendering of all development works besides total computerization of village records and accounts. He said that India has entered into cyber age and he envisions to make every village of Punjab a cyber hub. He said that he was also planning 13000 cyber suwidha kiosks to be setup in each village under which incharge of Cyber Kiosks would deliver 13 services including electricity and water bills, telephone and mobile bills, mobile recharge, complaints about water supply, sewerage and power and any disruption in tubewell water or canal water under one roof on the spot. He also lauded the role of revenue department for total computerization of land records under which now every villager can get village records on the spot without any hassle. He said that even Finance Commission, Planning Commission had requested the Punjab Government to provide details of this computerization model so that it could be successfully implemented in other states. He said that under 12th Finance Commission Rs.66.75 crore were released for providing drinking water facility to the villages and under 13th Finance Commission the amount was raised to Rs. 72.80 crore. He said that it was for the first time that rural toilets were constructed in all the villages.
Calling upon village representatives as agents of change, Mr. Badal said that you are fortunate that people of your villages have given you the enormous responsibility to accomplished the development works of your villages and serve the rural population. He said that this rare opportunity would hone your talent and prepare you to face the future challenges.
Congratulating the newly elected rural representatives, Mr. Badal said that Punjab has set an example before whole country by successfully and peacefully completing the elections to all the three tiers of Panchayati Raj System giving a rebuff to false propaganda of opposition parties. He said it was a matter of great appreciation that besides Panchayat Samitis and Zila Parishads, 81190 Panches were elected in the Panchayat elections of 13047 villages and it was for the first time that Punjab has successfully strengthened the grass root democracy at the village level, giving powers to the villagers to accomplished the development works in their villages.
Mr. Badal said that Punjab has successfully implemented 73rd amendment of the Constitution by conducting the election through ward system in the most transparent, objective and peaceful manner. He said it was matter of great satisfaction that rural population of Punjab has risen above petty factionalism by electing record 1920 Panchayats unanimously by consensus.Announcing fresh survey to include remaining eligible beneficiaries in Atta-Daal scheme, Mr. Badal said that Punjab was the first state that had addressed the problem of necessity of food security in the era of ever rising prices. He said that the survey had become necessary after receiving lot of representations from poor people, who were left out of original list of blue card holders. He described the drama of Food Security Bill as copycat of Atta-Daal scheme.
Promising to fulfill all promises made in the manifesto and first budget of SAD-BJP Government, Mr. Badal said that within 2 months the process of fulfilling most of the promises including providing computer tablets to students, cycles to girl students, Rs. 30000 scholarship to meritorious students, shagun to the poor at the time of marriage, old age pension would be set in motion.
Giving a call for optimum utilization of village common lands, Mr. Badal said that our villages were sitting over a kitty of 1.57 lakh acres of cultivable village common lands and due to effective auction the income from these lands saw an increase of Rs.20 crore this year to Rs. 240 crore from earlier Rs. 221 crore.Earlier speaking on the occasion, Mr. Surjit Singh Rakhra, Rural Development and Panchayats Minister, said that within next two years the SAD-BJP Government would fulfill the promise of providing toilet to every rural household. He said that for the first time identity cards have been issued to all newly elected members of Zila Parishads and Block Samitis enabling them to have free access to Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal and all ministers. He said that Department would work out similar exercise for all Sarpanch. He said that accessibility of Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister to the poorest of the poor was the hallmark of this government whereas Congress CM was not even accessible to his own ministers.
Local Bodies Minister Mr. Chuni Lal Bhagat said that with the blessings of people SAD-BJP Government would clinch all the 13 seats of Lok Sabha in Punjab on the basis of its performance. He said that peaceful and transparent polling in Zila Parishads and Panchayats elections have sealed the lips of Congress Party that was crying hoarse regarding possibility of rigging. Mr. Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, PWD Minister, Mr. Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Finance Minister and Mr. Ajit Singh Kohar, Transport Minister, Chaudhary Nand Lal, Mrs. Mohinder Kaur Josh, Mr. Sohan Singh Thandal (all CPS), Mr. Manpreet Singh Iyali, Mr. S.R. Kaler, Mr. Balwinder Singh Bains, Bibi Jagir Kaur (all MLAs), Mr. Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Advisor to Chief Minister and Mr. Santa Singh Umaidpuri, Chairman, Punjab Services Selection Board were present on the occasion.