Chandigarh, (Gurpreet) Punjab Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Bram Shankar Jimpa on Saturday lauded the budget presented by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema. He said that under the firm leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, all out efforts have been made to make every sector development oriented. He thanked the Chief Minister and the Finance Minister for increasing the budget by 27 per cent for water supply and sanitation works and projects.
In a statement issued here, Bram Shanker Jimpa said that in the budget for the year 2023-24, Rs 1987 crore has been allocated for water supply and sanitation works and projects. This amount is 27 percent more than the budget for the year 2022-23. He said that providing clean drinking water and better sanitation facilities in the villages was the main objective of the Punjab Government and this amount would make it easier to meet the target. Apart from this, those villages don't have potable water or facing a shortage of water, these villages have been included in the priority list.
He said Rs 400 crore has been earmarked for Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), Rs 200 crore for Jal Jeevan Mission, Rs 20 crore for repair and maintenance of water supply related infrastructure and Rs 40 crore for construction of Jal Bhawan at Mohali. He said that the Water Supply and Sanitation Department would leave no stone unturned in providing basic facilities like clean water and sanitation to the villagers of the state. Every penny of the budget will be spent for the welfare of the people and the development of villages.