The Rural Development and Panchayat Minister, Punjab Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa today on the occasion of 'Panchayat Diwas' has asked the elected Panches and Sarpanches of the state to actively participate to implement the development schemes for the overall development of the villages.The Rural Development Minister said that the department has devised various schemes for the maintainance and treatment of village pond water. He said that the treated water would be used for irrigation purposes. Divulging more, he said that to address the problem of the drainage of sewerage water in villages the Punjab Government has decided to set up two Sewage Treatment plants in each block of the state. After the success of first phase of this scheme, it would be implemented in other villages as well, added Mr. Bajwa.Mr. Bajwa further elaborated that every sewage treatment plant under this scheme would cost around Rs. 30 lakhs and the water would be treated thrice in three layer processing system. The treated water would be released for irrigation of crops.The Panchayat Minister exhorted the village panchayats to work for saving water in every possible way as the ground water is going down by 2.5 to3 feet every year.
Earlier, the Panchayat Minister congratulated the Panchayats of Punjab for winning the National Award on the occasion of Panchayat day for good performance. It is worth mentioning that on the occasion of National Panchayat Day at a national level function held at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, the Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi gave national award to seven Panchayats and one gram Sabha and one Zila Parishid of Punjab. Award winners include Zila Parishid Fatehgarh Sahib, Block Samiti Patiala and Moga and seven Panchayats namely-Thali Kalan (Rupnagar), Jadla (Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar), Dala (Moga), Attargarh (Barnala), Bholuwala (Firozpur), Patti Puran (Fazilka), Chinna (Gurdaspur) and Gram Sabha of village Khasan's of Kapurthala district.The Head of the Regional Rural Development Institute Dr. Rozy Vaid, Additional Additional Commissioner Development Hardial Singh Chatha and senior officers of the department also participated in the National functuion on the occasion of National Panchayat Day in Madhya Pradesh.