Tags:
Journalism of Courage
FATEHGARH SAHIB, June 1: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has started a campaign to see that all ongoing projects were completed as scheduled. Recently, he deputed senior officers from his secretariat to take stock of the situation in all the districts. Sarvesh Kaushal, special secretary to the Chief Minister, had a brain-storming session with other district officers in Fatehgarh Sahib district.
The spokesman said a total 23 focal points are under construction in the district. These growth centres would cover 5-6 villages each. They will have the facilities of marketing yard, community centres, veterinary hospital, health dispensary, commercial centre, rural industrial focal point, power complaint centres, cooperative bank and post office. The field level officers of all the departments would also be there. Kaushal directed the district administration to start these focal area by June 15.
In the district 200 houses at the cost of Rs 50,000 each are being constructed, out of which 140 are ready for possession. These houses are meant exclusively for the poor and houseless Schedule Caste beneficiaries.The principal secretary ordered immediate disbursement of 6,990 sanctioned old age pensions and said the remaining pending applications be disposed off at the earliest. He said presently there were 36 rural water supply schemes covering 142 villages. 19 new schemes were in the pipeline which would cover additional 21 villages, he added. He directed the PSEB authorities to release power connection to these schemes on priority.
During discussions some interesting facts were brought to the notice of the government with regard to teacher taught ratio norm of one teacher for every forty students. Most of the districts were found to have much narrow ratio thereby causing artificial and bureaucratic created shortage of teachers. It was noticed there were surplus teachers in urban and semi-urban areas while rural areas faced staff shortage which would soon be studied and corrected.
