PUNJAB: During the peak lockdown days in Punjab, the state’s rural landscape — ponds, parks and playgrounds — got a fresh lease of life. The government has used thousands of rural hands for work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA), generating employment of 129 lakh person-days from April till now this year and 375 lakh person-days in the financial year (2020-21).
Officials say at least 976 village ponds have been converted into model ponds and another 500 are in the pipeline. In another 3,469 ponds, dirty water has been pumped out, and desilting was carried out in 1,080 ponds. As many as 653 playgrounds and 435 parks have been developed along with 130 ‘panchayat ghars’. Explaining how the rural development department is upgrading the rural infrastructure, Additional Chief Secretary (rural development and panchayats) Seema Jain, says that besides rejuvenating villages, a campaign ‘Tandarust Punjab’ has also been launched to improve hygiene standards in villages.
“Our main objective was to give livelihood-intensive work to the registered workers under MGNREGA who had lost jobs due to Covid-19 as well to the locals,” she said. About ponds, she said over a period of time the water quality in them had deteriorated due to indiscriminate discharge of sullage and also effluents from septic tanks, besides encroachments. These ponds were veritable drains overflowing with dirty water. “The government launched a drive to conserve water for irrigation as well as recharge the ground water by reviving traditional ponds.
Now, we are renovating these pounds by using water treatment technology devised by Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala,” said Jain. Parks and playgrounds being constructed in these villages are looked at as solid infrastructure to motivate the youth towards sports and physical fitness. The playgrounds also offer space to people to interact and enjoy recreational activities.
Last year, ex Chief Minister Amarinder Singh digitally launched the construction of 750 rural stadiums and playgrounds in the state. The 750 stadiums are being built at a cost of `105 crore in rural areas under the state government’s rural transformation strategy and Tandrust Punjab Mission. The government has set a target of minimum five stadiums per block to be completed in 2020-21. Singh said the new village stadiums should be named after eminent sportspersons to inspire the youth to excel in sports at national and international levels.
The state government had last year signed an MoU with the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), Odisha, to help push the implementation of the Punjab Slum Dwellers Proprietary Act, framed in April 2020. Singh said it would help bestow ownership rights on the people belonging to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) on the land they live.
The plan ahead
The government has set a target of five stadiums per block to be completed in 2020-21. Ex Punjab CM Amarinder Singh said these stadiums should be named after eminent sportspersons to inspire the youth to excel in sports at national and international levels.