Chandigarh, Apr 1 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday presented a report card of his government’s works for rural development and panchayats, highlighting higher spending on the development of villages in the state.
Addressing the media under the ‘Shandaar Char Saal Bhagwant Mann de naal’ campaign, Mann said in the past four years, his government spent Rs 3,847 crore on rural development as against Rs 1,883 crore spent during the previous Congress government.
He was accompanied by Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond.
The chief minister further said Rs 1,030 crore was spent on panchayat buildings, libraries, Anganwadi centres, sports grounds, streets and other development works in villages.
He said Rs 1,336 crore was spent on drinking water supply, sanitation, solid waste management and other works. “These funds were released through zila parishads, panchayat samitis and panchayats”, he added.
Mann further said that 3,000 sports grounds are coming up in the state, involving an outlay of Rs 1,166 crore.
“The work on 2,400 sports grounds is underway,” he said, adding that it will be completed by June He further said 500 panchayat bhawans have been set at Rs 125 crore, and 231 rural libraries have been set up in villages.
On the issue of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), he said during the past four years, Rs 5,146 crore has been spent as against Rs 4,708 crore spent during 2017-2022.
In 2025-26, a total of 63,357 new job cards were issued under the MGNREGA, Mann added.
The chief minister also said that his government had earlier brought a resolution in the state Assembly against the change brought in the MGNREGA scheme by the Centre.
Mann said work on cleaning 17,080 village ponds is underway. “Dewatering of 13,414 village ponds has been done so far,” he added.
Villages are supporting the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign, he said on his government’s anti-drug drive. “Many villages in the state are now 100 per cent drug-free,” he claimed.
Mann said his government raised the honorarium of ‘sarpanches’ from Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,000. PTI CHS OZ OZ
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