Punjab Rural Development Department prepares 6 lakh masks through Self Help Groups during COVID-19, 10 lakh more to be made: Tript Bajwa

Punjab Rural Development Department prepares 6 lakh masks through Self Help Groups during COVID-19, 10 lakh more to be made: Tript Bajwa

Self-help groups get Rs 30 lakh for making masks, to get an another Rs 50 lakh

Nabaz-e-Punjab Bureau, Chandigarh, August 1:
In these hard times when the global economy has been badly affected due to the global spread of Corona virus, the Punjab Government under the leadership of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has been working tirelessly and finding new ways to provide work and job opportunities for the poor rural people so that they can atleast meet daily livelihood needs.
In a press statement issued here today Mr. Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Rural Development and Panchayats Minister said that every possible resource was being utilized and efforts being made by the Rural Development and Panchayat Department to provide maximum employment to the poor rural people in this hour of need.
The Rural Development Minister said that the main need during this period for prevention of this disease ‘MASKS’ were being prepared at large scale by the Rural Development Department through the Self Help Group and being handed over to the civil and police administration. He said that so far about six lakh masks and aprons have been made by the self help groups of the state which have provided help of Rs 30 lakh to the self help groups. He further said that 10 lakh more masks would be prepared by the self help groups which would provide estimated business of Rs. 50 lakhs to the self help groups. He said that material for making masks is being provided by the administration to the self groups and for making masks they are being paid Rs 5 per mask. This way in this crisis period, rural poor women were getting employment under the Ajivaka Mission and earning money to meet daily livelihood needs of their families.
Giving information about the efforts being made by the Rural Development and Panchayat Department, the Financial Commissioner Rural Development Department, Seema Jain said that apart from making masks, the department was also carrying a massive awareness campaign in the villages, van mitras have been deputed to take care of the saplings planted in the villages, painted colour markings to maintain social distancing, three rounds of sanitization spray completed in villages, village ponds cleaned, successful auction of panchayat lands carried out and above all rural doctors and pharmacists doing frontline duties in COVID wards.