Second phase of Smart Village Campaign launched

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 17

Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa on Saturday launched the second phase of the state government’s flagship ‘Smart Village Campaign’ at the Bachat Bhawan here.

The minister launched the second phase of the campaign simultaneously via video conference with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi (in New Delhi) and Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh (in Chandigarh) from 1,500 rural locations across the state.

The Chief Minister hailed Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa for the successful completion of the first phase of the campaign and commencing of the second phase with the purpose to make Punjab villages smart.

He said the development works would include sewer systems, water supply and sanitation, tiles paving, solar street lights, concrete ring roads, drains, ponds, community halls, cremation grounds/graveyards, schools/ anganwadis, gymnasiums and solid waste management to make Punjab villages self-sustaining by providing enabling environment.

“We will provide a neat and clean atmosphere in villages that people will feel proud to reside in villages rather thinking to move into cities,” he said.

Bajwa said the main feature of the campaign was that the panchayats were themselves accomplishing the development works as per their requirements in their respective villages while the Rural and Panchayat Department was just providing engineers.

Interacting with mediapersons on the sidelines of the event, Bajwa said there was no partiality with any village and some development works had been undergoing in every village of the state.

Political Secretary to Chief Minister Capt Sandeep Singh Sandhu, MLA Kuldeep Singh Vaid, MLA Sanjay Talwar, Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu and Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma were also present at the district-level event.