BADAL constitutes sub-committee to implement urban sector reforms effectively

Chandigarh, February 8, 2013: In a bid to provide better Municipal services to the people residing in the urban areas of the state, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today constituted a Sub Committee in the Department of Local Government to implement Urban Sector Reforms in an efficient manner.

A decision to this effect was taken by the Chief Minister during a review meeting of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) here at his residence.

Presiding over the meeting, the Chief Minister gave his nod for constituting a Sub committee comprising Local Bodies Minister Chunni Lal Bhagat, Chief Secretary Rakesh Singh, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Local Bodies Som Parkash, Principal Secretary Local Bodies Jagpal Singh Sandhu and other officers to work out the modalities for implementing Urban Sector Reforms in the state effectively.

Underlining the need of imparting quality Municipal services to the people residing in the urban areas of the state, the Chief Minister asked this committee to submit its report at the earliest so that an efficient and accountable system of providing these services to the residents in the cities could be evolved. Reiterating the commitment of the SAD-BJP government to facilitate the people in their day to day administrative works, Badal said that the implementation of these reforms would prove to be a stepping stone in this direction.

Reviewing the ongoing developmental works under Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Fund (PMIDF), the Chief Minister also directed the Local Bodies department to expedite the process of completing developmental works worth around Rs 1044 crore initiated under the PMIDF scheme last year in 142 cities of the state. Badal said that the Local Bodies department must ensure that these works are completed within this year adding that the high officers of the department must regularly monitor the progress report of these works so that they could be completed in a stipulated time period.

The Chief Minister also asked the Local Bodies department to ensure the timely completion of the ambitious project for providing 100% water supply and sewerage facility in all the towns and cities of the state. He said that this work of providing water supply and sewerage in the cities should be on the top priority of the department adding that all the developmental works must be concluded in a planned and phase wise manner. He also directed the Local Bodies department to ensure that the work of water supply and sewerage was completed before the starting construction of roads so as to avoid any wastage of public funds.

Prominent amongst those present in the meeting included Local Bodies Minister Chunni Lal Bhagat, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Som Parkash, Chief Secretary Rakesh Singh, Principal Secretary Finance Satish Chandra, Principal Secretary Local Bodies Jagpal Singh Sandhu, Secretary Local Bodies JM Balamurugan, Special Principal Secretaries to the Chief Minister Gaggandip Singh Brar and Gurkirat Kirpal Singh and Director Local Bodies Priyank Bharti.