Land for 100 Panchvati parks identified in 16 blocks

Our Correspondent

Una, June 30

The state government has initiated the process to set up 100 Panchvati parks and gardens in rural areas and appropriate plots of government land have already been identified in 16 development blocks, said Rural Development Minister Virender Kanwar at a meeting of district-level officers here today.

Kanwar said that the Rural Development Department had notified the Panchvati Park scheme on June 3 to develop dedicated recreational spaces for elderly citizens. The parks so developed would have stone-pitched walking paths, toilets, areas for herbal plantation, flowerbeds and sitting benches specifically designed for the elderly citizens so as to improve their fitness and well-being.

He said that panchayats had been identified in various development blocks, including Gohar in Mandi district, Bangana in Una, Banjar and Naggar in Kullu, Kaza in Lahaul and Spiti, Nagrota Bagwan and Sulah in Kangra, Paonta Sahib and Pachhad in Sirmaur, Tissa and Bhatiyat in Chamba, Kalpa in Kinnaur, Kandaghat in Solan, Rohru in Shimla and Nadaun in Hamirpur.

The minister said that all 100 parks would be developed by the end of 2021. He added that Rs 10 lakh would be spent on developing each park, thus meaning that a budget provision of Rs 10 crore had been made for the scheme in the first phase.

Kanwar said that the Central schemes such as MGNREGA, Swacch Bharat Abhiyan (Rural) and funds under the Fourteenth Finance Commission would be converged to build infrastructure for the welfare of senior citizens.

Proposal to penalise non-performing pradhans

• The Rural Development Minister said the department was making a proposal to penalise panchayat pradhans who fail to utilise at least 80% of the sanctioned funds in a year.
• He said the department would ask the government to enact a legislation, debarring all non-performing pradhans from contesting elections under the Panchayati Raj System.