Punjab Government has devised a comprehensive plan for overall modernisation of village ponds in the State. Under this project, water treatment plants would be installed in three villages in different phases.

“In the first phase of the project, three villages would be selected in each block of the districts under pilot project for installation of water treatment plants and treated water would be used for irrigation,” said the State Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra.

He said that this project has been conceived by the State Government to give an ultra modern look to the village ponds. Earlier some villages have taken such initiative at their own level.

Earlier in the meeting with the senior officials of the department and district development and panchayat officers (DDPOs), Rakhra instructed the DDPOs to select three villages per block in their districts and start this work as pilot project in these villages.

In the first phase, water in 500 villages would be treated by installing treatment plants for use of irrigation purposes. Minister also asked the officials to bring more transparency in auction process of village lands by encouraging them for e-auction and efforts should be made to make panchayats self reliant by increasing their income.

Minister also instructed DDPOs to ensure leveling of Shamlat lands within 15 days and tube-well connections should also be ensured. “Audit of accounts of all panchayats should be done from CA or firm and no irregularity would be tolerated,” said Rakhra.