The North News
Chandigarh, November 13
Punjab’s Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has announced the release of a ₹332 crore instalment aimed at accelerating development across the state’s rural areas. The funding, he said, will strengthen essential services and provide direct support to Gram Panchayats. A further ₹334 crore is expected by late December or early January to ensure an uninterrupted flow of resources. Speaking at Punjab Bhawan, Cheema said the Bhagwant Mann–led government had prioritised rural development from its first day in office. The latest tranche will support a range of projects, including village sanitation initiatives.
Cheema said the allocation is split between tied and untied funds. Around ₹156 crore will be given as untied grants, allowing Panchayats to decide their own local priorities, while ₹176 crore has been earmarked for tied funds dedicated exclusively to sanitation work. The overall distribution follows a 70:20:10 ratio across Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis and Zila Parishads. A total of ₹3,329,750,900 has been assigned to 22 districts, combining both tied and untied funds. Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur are among the biggest beneficiaries, with significant allocations also directed to Sangrur, Patiala, Jalandhar, Firozepur, Fazilka, Moga, SBS Nagar, Sri Muktsar Sahib and Tarn Taran.
Responding to questions about allegations from Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Bittu regarding the state’s use of central funds, Cheema dismissed the criticism, saying it stemmed from a misunderstanding of the SNA-SPARSH system. Under this mechanism, he said, the Centre directly deposits its share into the RBI-linked account of each scheme, ensuring transparency and real-time payments. He also urged Bittu to stop spreading misinformation and instead reveal the layout plan provided by the Union government for the Rajpura–Chandigarh railway line project.
The minister said the state government remains committed to strengthening rural infrastructure. Current projects include the recarpeting of 19,000 km of roads at a cost of ₹4,150 crore, as well as investments of ₹1,000 crore in sports infrastructure and the establishment of around 250 sports nurseries across Punjab.
