Punjab govt to release Rs 250 cr for rural development: Tript Bajwa

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 24

The Punjab Government has decided in principle to release Rs 250 crore outstanding payments under various rural development schemes.

It was announced by Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa after a high-level meeting with Anirudh Tiwari, Principal Secretary, Finance, and other senior officials of the Rural Development department.

Giving details, Bajwa said that besides the discussion on outstanding payments other key issues which were discussed in the meeting included the furnishing of budgetary proposals under various rural development schemes.

He said the Principal Secretary Finance had assured to release the pending grant Rs 82.36 crore under the MNREGA scheme, Rs 100 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana, Rs 19.75 crore under the Shyama Parshad Rural Mission and Rs 52.74 crore under the IBWS scheme.

Bajwa also issued strict directions to the senior officials of the department to utilise the grants with utmost transparency. He said quality parameters must be strictly adhered to while executing the development works, no compromise in this regard would be tolerated. 

He directed the senior officers of the department to personally monitor the ongoing development works at the village level.