Punjab’s Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats, Tarunpreet Singh Sond, has instructed senior officials of the department to focus specifically on the cleaning of village ponds. He emphasized that a special campaign should be launched to revamp the ponds in all villages.
While chairing a review meeting with senior officials, ADCs, DDPOS, BDPOS, and officers from various wings of the department at the Panchayat Bhavan, Sond directed that, in the first phase, a list of 25% of villages from each constituency requiring immediate cleaning of ponds should be prepared in consultation with the area’s representatives.
He stated that work should begin promptly in these villages and be completed before the monsoon season. Sond mentioned that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann envisions transforming Punjab into a “Rangla Punjab” and achieving this requires comprehensive rural development.
He stressed that Punjab’s villages should be developed as model villages and directed that the benefits of all government schemes and programs should reach the grassroots level to ensure the maximum development of rural areas. On this occasion, the minister also issued instructions to organize special camps in villages to create job cards under MGNREGA.
He suggested that these camps should be commence from religious places in the villages to maximize public participation. It is noteworthy that under the MGNREGA scheme, over 11 lakh job cards are currently operational. During the financial year 2024-25, approximately Rs. 1,000 crore has been spent, generating more than 2.15 crore person-days of employment and benefiting an average of 7 lakh rural families.
In addition, the minister directed that panchayat lands should be leased transparently to ensure that the revenue generated is used for the development of villages. He highlighted that since the formation of the current government, a campaign to remove illegal encroachments from panchayat lands has been initiated, and over 12,800 acres of panchayat land, worth more than ₹3,080 crore, have been reclaimed so far.
Officials informed that leasing approximately 6,000 acres of this reclaimed land has generated ₹10.76 crore in annual revenue for the year 2024-25. Sond instructed that the remaining land should also be leased transparently. On this occasion, the minister urged all officials to work diligently and honestly in public service and directed that ongoing projects should be completed within set timelines.
He emphasized achieving all targets by March 31, 2025, to mark the next financial year as a landmark year for transforming Punjab’s villages. He also issued guidelines for planting more trees in villages, noting that over 95 lakh saplings have been planted this year by the department.
Additionally, the minister directed expediting the construction of sports grounds in villages and accelerating the work under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin). He also urged field officers to focus on solid and liquid waste management to enhance the appearance and sanitation of villages.
The meeting was attended by Administrative Secretary Dilraj Singh, Director Parmjit Singh, JDC Dr. Shena Aggarwal, senior officials from the headquarters, ADCs (Development), DDPOs, BDPOs, and officers from various wings across Punjab.