Patiala, June 27: To empower rural governance, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann announced a substantial increase in the monthly honorarium for Sarpanches to ₹10,000, effective from August 15. Speaking at a state-level Sarpanch Milni, the Chief Minister stated that while previous administrations failed to deliver on their financial promises to village heads, the current government is fully committed to ensuring that grassroots representatives are well-supported to carry out developmental projects.
The Chief Minister maintained that local elections are highly challenging due to the direct proximity leaders share with the public. He asserted that elected heads must remain completely neutral and treat every resident equally, irrespective of past political rivalries, to foster holistic growth across rural Punjab.
“Sarpanches should remain away from any sort of undue interference in these works. It is very unfortunate that in the past several works in villages were jeopardized due to widespread groupism. Sarpanches must accord top priority to abolishing groupism in villages so that holistic development of rural areas can be ensured. In a democracy, the person or party that attains the majority is the winner, but once elected, the Sarpanch belongs to the whole village,” CM Bhagwant Singh Mann stated.
The Chief Minister affirmed that the state government is releasing extensive grants directly to local bodies, ensuring that middleman interference is entirely neutralized. He noted that the Sarpanch Milni initiative serves as a direct platform to understand specific rural issues, allowing the administration to tailor its welfare strategies effectively.
Prioritizing infrastructure needs, the Chief Minister advised Panchayats to focus their initial energies on building smart infrastructure, such as modern educational centers and green energy installations. He added that the ultimate objective remains the creation of a prosperous and healthy environment for the youth.
“Priority should be given to the construction of libraries, schools, solar lights and then the streets so that holistic development of villages is ensured. This is imperative for accelerating the development of the state and is the need of the hour to make Punjab the frontrunner in the country. There is no shortage of grants, but these must be utilized in the right earnest in villages,” the Chief Minister declared.
The Chief Minister concluded with a call to action for all local representatives to build an environmentally sustainable and drug-free state. He reiterated that the administration stands ready to provide full financial and administrative backup to any Panchayat working towards the collective prosperity of its people.
