Bathinda/Chandigarh (Aaj Samaj)The basic units of democracy are the village Panch and Sarpanch. These views were expressed by Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema at the district level oath-taking ceremony organized at the local Shaheed • Agat Singh Multipurpose Sports Stadium. In this programme, 2490 newly elected Panches from 318 Gram Panchayats of the district were administered oath.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema congratulated the district administration for conducting the elections in a fair and transparent manner and welcomed the newly elected Panchs. Describing Panchayats as the basis of democracy, he said decisions related to village development should be taken in village councils. Talking about ensuring proper utilization of grants provided by the state government headed by Chief Minister Agwant Singh Mann, he said that if these grants are properly utilized, the villages can move towards progress.
The Finance Minister appealed to the Panches and Sarpanches to shoulder their responsibilities with honesty and dedication. He also announced that a special grant of Rs 5 lakh will be given to the Panchayats and the state government will provide full support to the Panchayats in every noble work.
