Jalandhar: 13 Panchayats Received a Grant of ₹5 Lakhs as an Incentive

Jalandhar: In an effort to promote consensus-based governance in villages and strengthen communal harmony, the Punjab government on Monday distributed incentive grants of ₹5 lakh each to 13 Panchayats in the Phagwara block. These were the Panchayats that had been elected unanimously during the previous Panchayat elections. The checks were handed over during a ceremony held here at the BDPO office. The event was organized under the leadership of Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO) Lakhwinder Kaler, with Additional Deputy Commissioner (Rural Development) Varinder Pal Bajwa and Aam Aadmi Party Halka In-charge Harnoor Singh (Harji) Maan attending as chief guests.
These grants were awarded to the Panchayats of Dhandoli, Sikri, Deva Singh Wala, Pandori, Bishanpur, Fatehgarh, Darvesh Pind, Kirpalpur, Khera, Ranipur Kamboan, Randhirgarh, Bir Dhandoli, and Dhanda Baghana. This initiative is part of the state government’s broader objective to reduce election-related expenditure and discourage political rivalry at the grassroots level. Addressing the gathering, ADC Bajwa urged the Panchayat representatives to utilize these funds with complete transparency for the holistic development of their respective villages. He emphasized the importance of accountability and the efficient implementation of development projects.
Speaking on the occasion, Halka In-charge Harji Maan lauded this initiative by the Punjab government, stating that these additional grants would contribute significantly to rural development. He gave an assurance that there would be no shortage of funds for village development, reiterating that Chief Minister Bhagwant Maan’s vision is to transform every village in Punjab into a model village. He further added, “The dream of a vibrant ‘Rangla Punjab’ cannot be realized without comprehensive rural development.” BDPO Lakhwinder Kaler informed that a total of 15 Panchayats in the Phagwara block had been elected unanimously; of these, two had already received their incentive grants, while checks were presented to the remaining 13 Panchayats during this event.