20 SC majority villages to get makeover under PMAGY

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, October 16

Twenty villages of the district with more than 50 per cent Scheduled Caste (SCs) population will see a complete makeover under the Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gramin Yojana (PMAGY) as the government will soon provide all basic amenities in these villages.

The PMAGY scheme is aimed at providing basic amenities in the villages such as drinking water and sanitation, education, health and nutrition, rural roads and housing and electricity.

Under the PMAGY, the government has selected SC majority villages on the basis of 10 different indicators, which shows lack of basic facilities.

The 20 villages include Akoi Sahib, Fatehgarh Channa, Bangawali, Ram Nagar Sibia, Sahoke, Bharur, Bhumsi, Mahorana, Moranwali, Bhattian Khurd, Chandu, Munshiwala, Nakta, Retgarh, Bimber, Kalyan, Falound Kalan, Amamgarh, Qila Hakima and Ratanagarh Sindhran.

Under the scheme, the government will release Rs 20 lakh for each village for infrastructure development and other much needed facilities.

“It’s a welcome step, but I think Rs 20 lakh is not enough and the government should increase the grant to fully equip these villages with required facilities,” said Baldev Singh, a resident of Retgarh village.

The district authorities have directed various departments to conduct a survey on the lack of required facilities in selected villages by October 30. On the basis of the survey, estimates will be prepared and developmental works will be planned and started in selected villages.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), who is project director of PMAGY, Rajinder Batra said apart from the district-level monitoring committee for all PMAGY to supervise utilisation of grants, village-level committees had also been constituted.

“The scheme will help us provide all required facilities in selected villages. Our main concern is to ensure utilisation of sanctioned grant with transparency,” said Sangrur DC Ghanshaym Thori.