PUNJAB GOVERNMENT TO GO IN FOR E-AUCTION OF PANCHAYAT LANDS FIT FOR MINING: TRIPT BAJWA

PUNJAB GOVERNMENT TO GO IN FOR E-AUCTION OF PANCHAYAT LANDS FIT FOR MINING: TRIPT BAJWA

3000 ACRE PANCHAYAT LAND SUITABLE FOR MINING IDENTIFIED ON RIVER BANKS

PANCHAYATS TO EARN Rs. 100 CRORE FROM MINING

RENDERING PLANTS TO BE ESTABLISHED AT PATIALA, AMRITSAR & LUDHIANA FOR SCIENTIFIC DISPOSAL OF CARCASSES OF DEAD ANIMALS TO END ‘SPOIL HEAP’ (HADDA RORI)

ONLINE COURT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN PANCHAYATS

TIME LIMIT TO BE FIXED OF STREETS MADE WITH BRICKS, CONCRETE PAVER & CONCRETE

Nabaz-e-Punjab Bureau, Chandigarh, January 9:
“The Punjab Government would go in for the open bidding for the purpose of mining at the suitable Panchayat lands in order to increase the income of the panchayats. The Rural Development and Panchayat department has decided in favour of the initiative to put an end to the illegal mining on the Panchayat lands.” Disclosing this here today while interacting with the mediapersons, the Rural Development and Panchayat and Water Supply & Sanitation Minister, Punjab, Mr. Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa said that 3000 acres of Panchayat land on the banks of rivers and suitable for mining has been identified whose e-auction would yield an income of Rs. 100 crore.
The minister while mentioning another important project of the Panchayat Department said that in order to permanently end the problem of ‘Spoil Heap’ (Hadda Rori) in the villages, the State Government proposes to establish Rendering Plants on PPP mode for disposing off in a scientific way the carcasses of the dead animals. The plants would be coming up at Patiala, Amritsar and Ludhiana as pilot projects regarding which the necessary action is underway. This would lead to an income of Rs. 5000 from every dead animal after processing while putting a stop to the menace of stray dogs.

Listing another project, the minister said that the department would encourage the planting of saplings besides promoting the concept of agro-forestry so as to augument the income of the panchayats after proper utilization of the Panchayat land in the semi-hilly and the kandi areas. Under the scheme, the department has identified 1 lakh acre area out of which in the first year 35000 acre area would be brought under use with 50 lakh saplings under MGNREGA being planted in the 25000 acre area. The saplings pertaining to Mango, Jamun, Dek, Amla, Guava, Mulberry, Arjan, Tahli, Kikar, Khed and Neem would be planted on the basis of 200 per acre. Apart from this, it is also proposed to give 10000 acres of land on long lease to make its optimum use for agro-forestry and other allied agricultural occupations such as fish farming and bee keeping. This would yield Rs. 10 crore income to the panchayats.
Mr. Bajwa further said that the Panchayat fund window e-panchayat has also been started to bring transparency and eradicate corruption in the department. Till now, 75 percent accounts of zila parishad and Panchayat samities have been made public on the departmental website.
He also added that in another step aimed at transparent functioning, an online court management system would be implemented concerning court related works for officers at different levels. With its implementation, it would be mandatory to put 2 days prior on the online court management system the information which is to be submitted in the court regarding any ongoing case/litigation. The officers have been trained with regard to this.
In another significant decision by the State Government, a proposal has been readied to fix the time frame for stopping the misuse of funds by repeatedly digging the streets in the villages. Under this initiative, separate time frame would be fixed for the streets coming up with the bricks, concrete paver and concrete. A departmental committee has recommended that streets coming up with the use of bricks would have 15 year whereas those constructed with concrete paver or concrete must have 20 year time frame. The decision would be implemented soon by the department.
Mr. Bajwa also elaborated that the most significant decision of the Captain Amarinder Singh led Punjab Government was to conduct audit of panchayats pertaining to the year 2014-15. The work is being carried out by the audit supervisor local fund accounts and institute of public auditor and till now audit of 5091 panchayats has been completed. under this, the audit of 4072 panchayats has been carried out by the public auditor of India and that of 1019 panchayats by the supervisor local fund accounts which is continuing as of now. The lacuna found during the audit has resulted in the notices being sent to Panchayat secretaries, sarpanches and the J.E.s.