With an eye on State Assembly polls next year, the Punjab Government has started the process of the overall development of the villages with maximum Scheduled Caste (SC) population.
“Under this scheme, villages with 34 to 50 percent population have been identified according to 2011 Census and for the same, `3.80 crore has been reserved,” said the Punjab Rural Development Panchayats Department’s spokesperson.
In Punjab, SC population is 39 percent of its total population — the highest in the country, that forms a major vote bank.
A spokesperson said that Punjab Government, under unique modernization project, is committed to the welfare of the SC population living in villages, having low income and not having access to modern facilities.
In the first phase, the primary modern facilities will be provided to the villages like cemented roads, solar lights, dharamshalas, clean drinking water and sewerage facility etc prioritizing with villages with maximum SC population.
He added that Punjab is the frontrunner in providing cemented houses, clean drinking water, sewerage facility, and electricity and gas connections hence uplifting rural Punjab.
According to survey done by the Department, 1447 villages have 54 to 39 percent SC population, 1112 villages with 40 to 44 percent and 894 villages with 45 to 50 percent of SC population has been identified, which will come under this project.