With the grant, panchayats will take up works related to infrastructure gap filling scheme, development works, modernisation of villages, installation of solar lights, management of solid waste, building of community centres etc. Photo: Gurmeet Singh Grants of around Rs 300 crore, which were released during November-December last year to over 13,000 gram panchayats in the state, have been withheld by the department of rural development and panchayats for the re-assessment.
The department is doing the exercise following directions from Punjab government and the fund will be released only after proper scrutiny.
Former CM Charanjit Singh Channi had approved the grant under the Chief Minister’s Discretionary Fund just ahead of the Vidhan Sabha elections for development works. Even though model code of conduct was not enforced in the state then, sources said that funds could have been directed to certain villages to show favouritism ahead of the polls.
Also, sources said that under the Chief Minister’s discretionary Fund, only Rs 50 crore can be released to the panchayats. “However, The Channi-led Congress government approved Rs 150 crore under 11 types of grants totalling nearly Rs 300 crore. The fund was withdrawn from the treasury but it was yet to be disbursed to the panchayats at the district level so a decision has been taken to re-evaluate it,” sources said, adding that only after a recheck, the fund will be released to the panchayats for development works.
With the grant, panchayats will take up works related to infrastructure gap filling scheme, development works, modernisation of villages, installation of solar lights, management of solid waste, building of community centres etc.
Earlier, too, Congress MLA and former Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa had written to CM Bhagwant Mann highlighting the release of the grant.
Meanwhile, talking to The Indian Express, Rahul Bhandhari, secretary of department of rural development and panchayats confirmed that the fund has been withheld. “The fund has not been stopped. But it will be released only after evaluation,” he said
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