Minister Bhagat administers oath to 5,443 district panches

Punjab Horticulture, Freedom Fighters and Defence Welfare Minister Mohinder Bhagat on Tuesday administered the oath of office to the newly elected panches during a district-level function at a sports stadium here in Jandiala village.

During the event, 5,443 panches from the newly elected 890 gram panchayats in the district were administered the oath of office by the minister. Accompanied by Punjab Safai Karamchari Commission chairman Chandan Grewal, Chairman, Punjab State Minorities Commission, Abdul Bari Salmani, Chairman, Punjab Agri Export Corporation Limited, Mangal Singh Bassi, Chairman, District Planning Committee, Amritpal Singh, and AAP leader Stephen Kaler, the minister appealed to the panches to ensure the maximum participation of people in the panchayat decision by holding gram panchayats in their villages to ensure transparency in development works.

He further said 195 panchayats in the district had been elected unanimously, which had further strengthened democracy at the grassroot level. Bhagat also said several ministers and MLAs in the state had also begun their political career from panchayat elections and they had achieved new heights. He urged the panches to ensure the proper utilisation of funds for the development of villages. He urged panchayat members to play a proactive role in keeping youngsters from drug abuse so as to make Punjab Rangla again.

Earlier, Nakodar MLA Inderjit Kaur Mann congratulated the newly elected panchayat members after they took the oath. She stated that she would have interaction with panchayats of her constituency to assist them in their operations. Senior AAP leader, halqa in-charge, Jalandhar Cantt, Rajwinder Kaur Thiara, Pawan Kumar Tinu, halqa in-charge, Adampur, Jeet Lal Bhatti, halqa in-charge, Shahkot, Parminder Singh Pandori, halqa in-charge, Phillaur, Prem Kumar also addressed the gathering.

Meanwhile, the district administration, Jalandhar, led by Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal, Additional Deputy Commissioners Major Amit Mahajan and Budhiraj Singh, SDMs Amanpal Singh and Lal Vishwas Bains welcomed the chief guest by presenting him a momento.