For the urban development, Punjab Government has released Rs 117.70 crore to the local bodies which includes Municipal Corporations, Councils and Panchayats.
“This grant has been released as first instalment for 2015-16 by the 14th Finance Commission to the urban local bodies under the non-plan scheme,” said State local Bodies Minister Anil Joshi.
Joshi said that under this scheme, Rs 15.26 crore has been given to ludhiana, Rs 13.83 crore to Amritsar, Rs 6.73 crore to Jalandhar, Rs 4.14 crore to Pathankot, Rs 2.69 crore each to Patiala and Bathinda, Rs 2.22 crore to Mohali, Rs 1.66 crore to Moga, Rs 1.59 crore to Hoshiarpur and Rs 1.15 crore to Phagwara.
He further said that likewise, grants had been released to other council committees and Panchayats on the criteria of income per person.
Joshi stressed upon the implementation of Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan saying that this grant will be utilised for development of cities.
“Main focus will be on providing better infrastructural facilities and cleanliness of cities,” he siad.
The Minister also instructed the senior officials of the department to utilise grants in transparent manner so that ultimate goal to provide proper better facilities to the common man could be achieved.