Giving a major boost to the development work in the state, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday released a sum of Rs. 211 Crores and presented cheques worth Rs. 58 crores to 37 Urban Local Bodies (Municipal Councils/Nagar Panchayats).Describing the money as a `social cheque’, the Chief Minister directed the ULBs to ensure that it is spent in a transparent manner. He also instructed the concerned officials to immediately start work on all pending development projects.A spokesperson said after the event at which the cheques were handed over to the 37 ULBs that the Chief Minister assured that his government would ensure equitable expenditure, without indulging in any discrimination as was done by the erstwhile SAD-BJP government against the areas represented by the Congress.Reiterating his personal commitment to improve basic infrastructure in the state, Captain Amarinder said his government would do everything possible to provide the much needed relief to the people of Punjab, who have been suffering over the past 10 years due to the ill-conceived policies of the previous government.The Chief Minister disclosed that his government was in the process of arranging a loan of Rs. 1540 Crores for achieving 100% coverage of the water supply and sewerage system in the areas under the urban local bodies.
The amount was expected to be released soon, he said, adding that the government was also expecting an additional grant of Rs 34.91 Crores to be released soon through PIDB.Speaking on the occasion, Local Government Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu thanked the Chief Minister for the release of the development project fund, which he described as Captain Amarinder's Diwali gift to the people of Punjab. Projects worth Rs. 137 Crores and 125 respectively had been sanctioned for Ludhiana and Amritsar, he said, adding that development projects for Jalandhar would be announced within a week, he added.Responding to concerns expressed by some of the Municipal Councillors present at the cheque distribution ceremony, the Chief Minister said there was no question of him supporting Rana Gurjit as the Justice Narang Commission had cleared the Cabinet Minister of charges of corruption in the sand mine auctions.
Regarding progress in the journalist KJ Singh murder case, he said the police were on the job and the culprits would be nabbed and brought to book. He also assured that those behind the murder of an RSS worker in Ludhiana would be caught soon.Others present at the event included Cabinet Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Media Advisor to CM Raveen Thukral, Chief Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary to CM Tejveer Singh, MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, besides Karandeep Singh Nabha, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Amreek Singh Dhillon, Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon, Gurpreet Sinhg Kangar, Darshan Singh Brar, Madan Lal Jalalpur, Hardyal Singh Kamboj, Rajinder Beri, Sukhjeet Singh Lohgarh, Sushil Kumar Rinku, Ramanjit Signh Sikki, Sanjiv Talwar, Kuldeep Singh Vaid, Angad Singh Saini, Joginder Pal, Darshan Lal Mangupur (All MLAs).Joginder Singh Mann and Inderjit Singh Jira (Ex-ministers), Kewal Singh Dhillon and Jagmeet Singh Brar (Ex-MLAs), Advisor Local Government Department Dr. Amar Signh, Director Local Government Ajoy Sharma and CEO PMIDC Ajoy Sharma also attended the programme.