Chandigarh/Patiala, December 3, 2020 (Yes Punjab News)
Vini Mahajan, Chief Secretary Punjab, during the review of Patiala Division today expressed satisfaction that development works that had slowed down due to Covid, were now being resumed at full speed by the Districts. Rs. 3000 crore worth projects had already been completed in Punjab under UEIP 1 and phase 2 was underway with an investment of Rs 700 crore.
Similarly, projects worth Rs. 835 crore had already been implemented under SVC I and works worth Rs. 2775 cr.were under way in rural areas under SVC 2. She directed the DCs to ensure the completion of these projects within the stipulated time.
She also asked the officers to ensure availability of toilets in the Government Schools and Anganwadis till the December end this year.
Regarding the scheme formulated by the Punjab Government for the welfare of poor slum dwellers and landless farmers, notified as the Punjab Slum Dwellers (Proprietary Rights) Act, 2020 , she asked the Deputy Commissioners to expedite the identification of eligible beneficiaries.
While directing to clear the outstanding electricity bills of village water supply schemes and schools through Panchayats, the Chief Secretary asked the Deputy Commissioners to pay special attention in this regard.
Ms. Vini Mahajan also asked the DCs to come up with concrete plans for the next Rabi season, including suggestions regarding Crop Residue Management machinery to stop stubble burning completely.
The Chief Secretary also stressed on need to ensure maximum water supply connections in the villages under Jal Jeevan Mission-Har Ghar Pani so that clean drinking water could be available to the people.
While reviewing the development works from the Deputy Commissioners of the districts, Deputy Commissioner Patiala Mr. Kumar Amit said that the major development projects in the district including 24×7 canal based water supply projects at the cost of Rs. 500 crore, Construction of Academic block of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh Punjab State Sports University, Bus Stand Project at the cost of Rs. 61 crore, Heritage Street project (Rs 43 crore), Beautification project for Chhoti and Badi Nadi (Rs 200 crore), Jacob Drain and Eastern Drain projects, renovation of Rajendra Lake at a cost of Rs. 5 crore and renovation of Medal Gallery Project are in the offing while LED Lights projects, Underground dustbins, Bio Remediation of Garbage Dump at Sanour Road, allotment of 126 houses under Pradhan Mantri Sehri Awas Yojana also being done.
Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Mr. Varinder Kumar Sharma said that Hi-Tech Cycle Valley being constructed in Ludhiana, Ludhiana Industrial Park Koom Kalan, Budha Nalla cleaning and renovation projects, 24×7 canal based water supply project to Ludhiana city, Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, Ferozepur to Sidhwan Canal Sidhwan Canal to Bharat Nagar Chowk projects, Cheema Chowk Flyover and Ladowal Byepass have been given top priority and are in progress.
Mr. Rambir, Deputy Commissioner, Sangrur apprised about the successful experience of direct sowing in the district and the acquisition of land for the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway. The Chief Secretary was also apprised about the Homi Bhabha Cancer Care Center and PGI Satellite Center in Sangrur.
The DC of Barnala said that the sex ratio in his district has gone up to 965 this year as compared to 895 last year. He also apprised the Chief Secretary regarding the CSR initiatives in his district, including a school for children from slum areas and a recreation centre for specially abled children.
Responding to the queries of media, later on, Ms. Vini Mahajan said that she was personally visiting each divisional headquarter and holding meetings with the Deputy Commissioners of the districts falling in that division to remove the stagnation in the development works after COVID-19. And instructions are being given to complete the ongoing projects in those districts on a war footing.
On being asked about the Punjab Government’s arrangements to contain the second possible wave of COVID, she said that Punjab has been adjudged among the top three districts of the country having most of the RT-PCR tests. She said that the government has increased the testing capacity to 30,000 per day. She said that the government was strengthening the level two and level three COVID facilities in the state and increased the capacity of public and private centers by 30 per cent.
Adequate arrangements for manpower, oxygen, medicines, etc is also in place. While a vaccine maybe available early next year, she urged the people to continue to strictly observe Covid appropriate behaviour.
Additional Chief Secretary-cum-FCR Mr. Viswajeet Khanna, Additional Chief Secretary NRI Affairs Mr. Kirpa Shankar Saroj, Secretary Personnel Mr. Vivek Pratap Singh and Commissioner Patiala Division Mr. Chandra Gaind and Additional Secretary Coordination-cum-Staff Officer to Chief Secretary Ms. Sakshi Sawhney were also present in the meeting.
