CHANDIGARH, April 24 — Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday announced a ₹2,000 monthly honorarium for Sarpanches and unveiled a series of incentives for villages declaring themselves drug-free, calling for full support in the state’s ongoing Yudh Nasheyan Virudh (War Against Drugs).
Addressing a state-level function on Panchayat Diwas, Mann said, “Villages that declare themselves drug-free will receive ₹1 lakh and advanced facilities. They will be developed into model villages.”
He urged village heads to take the lead in combating drug abuse, calling them “the eyes and ears of the state government.”
In a key decision, the Chief Minister said the ₹2,000 honorarium would be paid retroactively from the date of each Sarpanch’s election.
“Previous governments promised ₹1,200 but never delivered. This government has made it a regular and permanent feature,” he said.
Mann asserted that the state would not tolerate drug traffickers and reiterated that Punjab had already dismantled major supply chains.
“We are confiscating illegally acquired properties of smugglers to send a strong message,” he added.
He praised Panchayats as the foundation of grassroots governance and urged Sarpanches to uphold democratic values and avoid groupism.
“Once elected, a Sarpanch belongs to the whole village,” he said, calling on them to act impartially and prioritize unity.
The Chief Minister also announced a large-scale initiative to clean and treat water in village ponds for agricultural use.
“We’re reducing pressure on groundwater by promoting treated pond water and expanding canal irrigation,” he said.
He noted a jump in canal water use from 21% to 75% since his government took office and claimed Union government data showed groundwater levels had risen by up to one metre in some blocks.
Mann presented the Panchayat Advance Index Award to the Gram Panchayat of Baloh village in Bathinda and honored nine other Panchayats, unanimously elected councils, Self-Help Groups, and Panchayat Secretaries for their contributions to rural development.
Cabinet Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond and other dignitaries attended the event.
