Strong villages make a strong nation: Saini
Saini inaugurated 923 development projects valued at ₹233 crore and laid the foundation stones for 413 additional projects, amounting to ₹135 crore.
On National Panchayati Raj Day, Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini unveiled development package worth ₹368 crore for the state’s panchayats, marking a significant step towards strengthening local governance and rural development. The announcement was made during the state-level ‘Gram Utthan Samaroh’ held in Panchkula.
Saini said that villages are the foundation of our culture, tradition, and a self-reliant India. A strong village leads to a strong nation. When panchayats are empowered, democracy thrives. Therefore, it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure the development and self-reliance of our villages.
Saini inaugurated 923 development projects valued at ₹233 crore and laid the foundation stones for 413 additional projects, amounting to ₹135 crore. These projects aim to enhance infrastructure and improve the quality of life in rural areas across Haryana.
In a move to empower local governing bodies, Saini transferred ₹573 crore to 22 zila parishads, 142 panchayat samitis, and 5,388 gram panchayats. This allocation represents their share of stamp duty revenue, providing them with increased financial autonomy for local development initiatives.
The chief minister also approved ₹18.28 crore for the construction of mahila chaupals in 511 gram panchayats. Additionally, ₹1.45 crore was released for 411 zila parishad members and 3,081 panchayat samiti members, recognising their contributions to local governance.
During the event, Saini launched the Mukhyamantri Jagrit Gram Puraskar Yojana, a scheme that will award panchayats demonstrating outstanding performance across various socio-economic indicators. The scheme will provide substantial financial incentives to winning panchayats, with first-position gram panchayats receiving ₹51 lakh, second position ₹31 lakh, and third position ₹21 lakh, to be used for local development.
To further empower elected representatives, Saini initiated the distribution of training kits under the National Gram Swaraj Abhiyan. This campaign will provide refresher training to all 71,000 elected representatives in the state along with training kits.
Saini also released two books: “Mera Gaon–Meri Dharohar,” a collection of stories highlighting the spiritual heritage of Haryana’s villages, and a book detailing the Mukhyamantri Jagrit Gram Puraskar Yojana.
The chief minister disbursed social security pension benefits to 41,591 new beneficiaries across the state, with ₹12.59 crore directly transferred to their bank accounts.
The event was attended by Haryana Assembly speaker Harvinder Kalyan, Development and Panchayats minister Krishan Lal Panwar, and other key state government officials.
Earlier, the chief minister and others present observed a two-minute silence and paid tribute to the people who lost their lives in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
During the event, the address of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Madhubani, Bihar was broadcast live for the representatives of panchayati raj institutions who were present.
Saini appealed to panchayat representatives to pledge for a drug-free village. He urged that every representative should take a vow to eliminate drug use from their respective villages. He said that if anyone is found consuming drugs or involved in drug trafficking, the information should be reported to the government via the MANAS portal. The identity of the informant will be kept confidential.
Development and Panchayat minister Krishan Lal Panwar said that training programmes have been organised for panchayats, as a result of which the working of the panchayats in the state have become swifter and village development is continuously being strengthened. He emphasised that panchayat representatives must work honestly and advance their villages on the path of development.
