World Bank sanctions Rs 1,280 Crore for Punjab

Chandigarh, Punjab: Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has said the World Bank had sanctioned Rs 1,280 crore to provide safe potable water in villages across the state.

The Chief Minister made this announcement at a press conference held after sangat darshan programmes in eight villages of this assembly segment, which is represented by him in the Vidhan Sabha. The programmes were held at Kangan Khera, Khema Khera, Phullu Khera, Arniwala Wazira, Fatehpur Mania, Tapa Khera and Dabwali Malkoki.

Badal said the World Bank had sanctioned such a big amount only due to the untiring efforts of the state government. Coming down heavily on errant government officials, Badal sounded a warning to them, saying that “if these officers, who are also public servants, can not listen to the grievances of the common man, it will be better for them to leave their jobs and better sit at home”.

He doled out a grant of Rs 1 crore for the development of all eight villages where he held sangat drashan programmes today. If the Chief Minister vented his ire on “non-performing officials” at the same time he also pulled up farmers who were stealing canal water for irrigation. He also came down heavily on farmers who were in the habit of using “kundi” connections to steal power. “Farmers found using a kundi connection would not be given a tubewell connection”, he added.

Taking notice of the non-utilisation of grants disbursed by him during sangat drashan programmes held on earlier occasions, the Chief Minister pulled up officials concerned for this lapse and asked them to immediately start development works.

Badal said an amount of Rs 10 crore had already been spent on setting up reverse osmosis (RO) water purifier plants in the Lambi assembly segment and added such plants would be set up in 12 more villages in the next four months.

The Chief Minister, who was accompanied by his Special Principal Secretary KJS Cheema and Muktsar Deputy Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal, distributed Rs 15,000 each to 45 beneficiaries of the Shagun Scheme. He also gave away Rs 35,000 each to 20 downtrodden families for construction of houses.