DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday said the Panchayati Raj Institutions are a vital link in democracy that give a new momentum to development. Addressing the state-level 'Gram Utthan Samaroh' to mark National Panchayati Raj Day 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," he said.

During the event, the address of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Madhubani, Bihar was shown live on TV screens for representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions who were present.

Addressing the gathering, Saini urged the panchayat representatives to commit themselves to advancing villages on parameters like education, healthcare, sanitation, and women empowerment.

Saini also appealed to panchayat representatives to take a vow to eliminate drug use from their respective villages.

He said that Panchayati Raj Institutions are a vital link in democracy that give a new momentum to development.

When the Panchayati Raj system was granted constitutional status, the objective was to empower villages and ensure their development through panchayats, he said.

The chief minister said that the soul of this nation lies in its villages.

"Villages will play the most crucial role in the journey towards a developed India. Once our villages are developed, the state will progress, and we will surely fulfil Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Viksit Bharat' well before 2047," he said.

Before his address, the chief minister and others present at the event observed a two-minute silence and paid tributes to the people who lost their lives in the Pahalgam terrorist attack, an official statement said.

Haryana Assembly Speaker Harvinder Kalyan, ministers Krishan Lal Panwar, Mahipal Dhanda, Shyam Singh Rana, Ranbir Gangwa, Krishan Kumar Bedi, Shruti Choudhry, and Deputy Speaker Krishan Middha were also present on the occasion.

Saini said Haryana has had a proud tradition of panchayats since Vedic times, where 'Panchs' have been given the status of 'Panch Parmeshwar'. 'Panch Parmeshwar' must work with this spirit to ensure the holistic development of villages, said the chief minister.

He said that 50 per cent of the panchayat representatives present at the programme are women, which is a symbol of women empowerment that will give a new boost to the development of Haryana villages.

The chief minister said that panchayat representatives should work with the resolve that "my village, my panchayat should be the number one in the entire district and the state. Everyone must ensure that not a single child in their village drops out of school and that every child receives the right to education". Saini assured that there will be no dearth of funds for development works of panchayats.

He said that the government has established 948 e-libraries, 281 indoor gyms, 453 streetlights, and 349 'Mahila (women) Chaupals' to improve the quality of rural life. Additionally, the 'phirnis' (village lanes) of 316 villages have been paved, he said.

Panchayat Minister Krishan Lal Panwar said that training programmes have been organized for panchayats, as a result of which the working of the panchayats in the state have become more swift. He emphasized that panchayat representatives must work honestly and advance their villages on the path of development.

He said that the chief minister had assigned all ministers a 100-day target.

During these 100 days, the Panchayati Raj Department set a goal to open e-libraries in 1,000 villages in the first phase. Additionally, it was decided to establish Mahila Sanskritik Kendra in 1,000 villages.

The rejuvenation of ponds across Haryana is also underway, he said.

There are about 19,000 ponds in the state, out of which the department has identified 6,000 ponds for rejuvenation. In the first phase, 2,200 ponds are being restored, Panwar said.

(editor@dailyworld.in)