Bathinda/Chandigarh, November 19 : Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday emphasised the crucial role of village Panchayats as the foundation of democracy while administered the oath of office to 2,490 newly elected Panchs from 318 villages of the district Bathinda during the district-level oath-taking ceremony held at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Multipurpose Sports Stadium.

Cheema  urged the Panchs to ensure proper utilisation of the grants

On this occasion, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema congratulated the district administration for conducting elections in a fair and transparent manner. Finance Minister Cheema described Panchayats as the foundation of democracy and emphasized that Gram Sabhas should make village development decisions. He urged Panchs to utilize the grants from Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s Punjab Government effectively to drive village development and progress.

He highlighted that if the Panchs and Sarpanchs perform their duties well, they can change the destiny of their villages. Cheema announced that the state government will review Panchayat works and award a special grant of Rs 5 lakh. It will fully support every noble initiative by village Panchayats.

Panchs :The govt is actively working to make Punjab a drug-free state soon.

The Finance Minister called for eradicating drugs from Punjab. He emphasized that the Punjab Government and Police are working with village Panchs and Sarpanchs to make the state drug-free. He urged Panchs to fully support this effort.

For village welfare, the Finance Minister encouraged Panchs and Sarpanchs to work with honesty and transparency. He stressed that Panchayats can drive development by consulting with villagers on all decisions.

Finance Minister also released posters dedicated to the World Toilet Day

The Finance Minister urged Panchayat members to plant more trees for environmental cleanliness and ensure safe water and clean air for future generations. He also released posters for World Toilet Day and distributed certificates to beneficiaries.

Punjab MLAs Highlight Achievements & Inspire Panchayat Leaders

MLA Bathinda (Urban) Jagroop Singh Gill, MLA Rampura Balkar Singh Sidhu, MLA Bhucho Mandi Master Jagsir Singh, and MLA Maur Sukhbir Singh Maisarkhana shared their views and highlighted the revolutionary achievements driving Punjab’s progress under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s leadership.

They also motivated the gathered Panchs and Sarpanchs to make valuable contributions to the state’s progress. Panchayat Officer Gurjivan Singh provided detailed insights into the work of Panchayats. Sukhraj Singh Dhadianwale Kavishri Jatha delighted all the attendees with their Bir Ras Vars and Kavishri.