For 13 years, she has worked relentlesslyto make Bir Pind a model village
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, September 21
Having spent Rs 2.4 crore from NRIs’ help and government aid for the development of Bir village in Nakodar during the past few years, Inderjit Kaur (47), the enterprising woman sarpanch of this village, is all set to get another grant for further development works in the village.
The dream of Kaur, who is the third-time sarpanch of the village, is getting realised with new works being carried out. The Government High School in the village with a strength of 300 students already has a plush, well-maintained building with privately hired sweepers, provisions of a clean kitchen, water coolers and RO water filters. The 12-foot village ponds in the village have been converted into playgrounds after filling these up with earth.
The five-bed dispensary in the village is providing free medicines and medical tests to the patients and is better equipped owing to NRI funding every year for the same. A modern health club too has been set up for the youth in the village. The work to construct library in the village is already on.
Says Inderjit Kaur, who is known for her consistent efforts since 2003, “Of the 2.4 crore that we have spent so far, about Rs 60 lakh has come from the government and the rest from the NRIs. My NRI cousin Lambar Singh, who is returning next month, has been the biggest donor. He follows up each project during his twice-a-year visits to India and ensures that every place where he has invested, including schools, dispensary, panchayat ghar etc, is well-maintained. He is the one paying for the wages of the safai karamcharis in the government school.”
Inderjit, whose husband too has worked abroad and is now back home, says, “Almost all households in our village have a member settled abroad and everyone is doing his bit for the community. The next project that the NRIs of this village are undertaking is the laying of sewage, water treatment plant, covering ponds, developing parks, paving all roads and installing streetlights. The total proposal, which stands at Rs 3 crore, will be completed in a year’s time. Of the total amount, the government’s is Rs 1 crore, which is the uppermost limit which it can spend on a village in a year.” Principal Secretary, NRI Affairs, Sanjay Singh, Commissioner Jalandhar Division, Harbhupinder Nanda, and ADC (D), Girish Dayalan, have already made a tour to my village this week to check the status of the previous works and assess the current requirements that I have made.
“I hope that the proposals will get cleared soon,” Inderjit Kaur said with her fingers crossed. Known for being articulate, well-versed with the systems and pushy in her work, Kaur got several posers from Punjab Minister Madan Mohan Mittal during the District Grievances Committee meeting yesterday. As she listed out pending works for her area, the minister asked her, “If you keep counting pending works, why do you think people from your village will vote for you again?” At this, she came out with a prompt reply, “It is owing to this attitude of mine that I have all the support in my village. They have chosen me thrice and it is for them that I am here.”
