Chandigarh, July 20:
In a major bonanza for people living in both rural and urban areas, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday approved Rs. 658 crore under the ‘Punjab Nirman Programme’ (PNP), and also okayed Rs.22.50 crore for sports kits, Rs.30 crore for open gyms and Rs.7.50 crore for Mahila Mandals.
It may be recalled that the Council of Ministers had earlier given the nod to amend the guidelines of PNP for efficacious utilisation of funds.
The Chief Minister further said that PNP funds would be utilized to ensure local area development in the state according to the felt needs of people, thus ensuring seamless implementation of various programmes through Government Bodies, PRIs/ULBs, or as may be deemed by the Deputy Commissioner in line with guidelines of the respective departments.
A spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office said that an indicative list of infrastructure works to be covered in rural/urban areas under this programme includes – sanitation projects, houses to houseless, provision of drinking water facilities, toilets and additional rooms etc. in Government Schools, provision of drinking water and shelter in cremation grounds, street lighting and urban connectivity, provision of drinking water supply, toilets, waiting rooms and other improvements in government hospitals, dispensaries, primary health centres, community health centres and veterinary hospitals and dispensaries, provision of compost pits, repair/construction of dharamshalas, community centres and panchayat ghars in rural areas, augmenting or operationalizing existing drinking water supply schemes, provision of drainage and disposal system in rural and urban areas, construction of streets in rural areas, any other infrastructure connected with above facilities.
Notably, according to amended guidelines approved by Cabinet on June 18, all works under the Punjab Nirman Programme launched in 2006, would be proposed, as per the indicative works list already circulated to Deputy Commissioners, by the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development)/ Additional Deputy Commissioner (Urban Development), before a District Level Committee under the Chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner. Besides, the committee would include all Commissioners of Municipal Corporation in the district, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development), Additional Deputy Commissioner (Urban Development), District Development and Panchayat Officer as its Members, while the Deputy Economic & Statistical Adviser would be its Member Secretary.
It may be recalled that the Council of Ministers in its meeting held on May 13, 2021 had also approved additional infrastructure development works to be executed in rural and urban areas under ‘State Level Initiatives (Punjab Nirman Programme)’, which included; financial assistance for repair and renovation of houses belonging to Scheduled Castes/Backward Classes and other weaker sections, subject to a minimum of Rs. 10,000/- but not exceeding of Rs. 35,000/- per household, construction/renovation of memorial gates, infrastructure for promotion of rural sports and games, including open-air gyms, construction of new culverts on roads for disposal of rain water, phirnies, small bridges, construction of missing links and link roads/kutcha roads, construction of Paver Blocks in urban areas, disposal of sullage water, sports facilities and grants for sports equipments to local registered clubs and societies, to lay underground pipe line and construct ‘Pucca Khalas’ for conservation of Water for Agriculture purposes, to construct new or to repair link roads, shifting of Electric Transformers/Poles and laying of Underground Cable, construction/beautification/renovation of Parks & Chowks in urban areas, repair/renovation of historical monuments.
