CHANDIGARH, June 9 -- Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday announced a series of measures aimed at strengthening rural infrastructure, sanitation and local governance, including the provision of tractor-trolleys, drivers and waste collection workers in every village to improve waste management systems.
Addressing the state-level Sashakt Panchayat Samaroh in Panchkula, Saini said the government is also working on waste-to-energy projects to ensure sustainable disposal of rural waste. During the event, he inaugurated LED street lighting along the peripheral roads (phirnis) of 179 villages across 17 districts at a cost of Rs 23.21 crore. He also dedicated 350 e-Atal libraries built in 17 districts with an investment of Rs 44 crore. Saini transferred Rs 1,056.75 crore directly to the accounts of Panchayati Raj Institutions for development works and honoured six gram panchayats under the Jagrit Gram Awards for excellence in development, sanitation and governance. The award-winning panchayats received a total prize money of Rs 1.66 crore.
Highlighting the role of villages in nation-building, Saini said India's democratic traditions have long been sustained through village panchayats and that Haryana is committed to making villages active partners in development. He noted that more than Rs 2,697 crore has been released under various schemes to strengthen rural infrastructure and governance.
The CM also announced relief for families residing on village shamlat land for over 20 years. Such families will now be eligible to apply for ownership rights under prescribed rules until January 16 next year. Applicants will be required to pay one-and-a-half times the land value calculated at the collector rate prevailing in 2004.
Saini said over 98 per cent of villages in Haryana have achieved ODF Plus status and expressed confidence that all villages would become ODF Plus Model Villages by October 2. He also highlighted the government's decision to increase the financial limit for development works undertaken by gram panchayats from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 21 lakh. MPOST
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.