Kejriwal and Mann Call for Transparent, Development-Focused Leadership at Sarpanch Oath Ceremony

Former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Friday urged newly-elected Sarpanchs to hold gram sabhas in their respective villages to ensure transparency in development works.

“It’s imperative to ensure optimum utilisation of public money for the welfare of the public and comprehensive development of villages,” Kejriwal said, addressing a state-level function where Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann administered the oath of office to 10,031 newly-elected Sarpanchs from across the state.

Kejriwal said decisions pertaining to village development should be taken in gram sabhas to ensure judicious utilisation of funds. He added that if Sarpanchs perform their duty well, they can transform the destiny of the common man and their villages. The AAP leader assured full state government support to Sarpanchs for every noble cause.

Kejriwal called on Sarpanchs to wipe out the drug menace from the state, adding that with their proactive role, Punjab could soon become a drug-free state. He said the state government and Punjab Police were committed to this cause and would leave no stone unturned.

Congratulating Punjabis for free, fair, and transparent polls, Kejriwal welcomed all the Sarpanchs. He expressed hope that after taking the oath, these Sarpanchs would lead their villages on the path of development. Kejriwal said it was heartening to learn that around 3,000 panchayats had been elected unanimously, which would give a fillip to village development.

The AAP leader urged Sarpanchs to perform well and transform their villages into model ones. He asked Sarpanchs to discharge their duty honestly and transparently for the well-being of villages. Kejriwal urged Sarpanchs to take every decision after due consultation with villagers, adding that they could play a major role in overall village development.

Meanwhile, in his address, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann congratulated all the Sarpanchs for their election to the prestigious post. He said that in the recently concluded panchayat elections, 13,147 new panchayats had been elected. Mann said that in Friday’s state-level function, 10,031 Sarpanchs from 19 districts of Punjab were being administered the oath.

The Chief Minister said the oath-taking ceremony of other newly-elected Sarpanchs of the remaining four districts – Sri Muktsar Sahib, Hoshiarpur, Barnala, and Gurdaspur – and of 81,808 newly-elected Panches of 23 districts would be held after the by-elections of four Vidhan Sabha constituencies. He expressed gratitude to the villages that had elected panchayats unanimously. Mann said these villages had risen above parochial considerations and elected their Sarpanchs unanimously to strengthen the ethos of harmony and brotherhood in villages and ensure their comprehensive development.

The Chief Minister said panchayats were the “foundations of democracy” and their decisions were respected by the entire village. He said now that people had given Sarpanchs this power, it was their bounden duty to safeguard people’s interests and cherish their aspirations. Mann said around 70% of the country’s population lived in villages, making Panchayati Raj Institutions the “lighthouse of democracy”.

The Chief Minister said these institutions acted as a catalyst for disseminating the benefits of pro-people and development-oriented schemes of the state government at the grassroots level. He urged all Sarpanchs to rededicate themselves to development works.

Mann said schools, dispensaries, veterinary hospitals, and several other works of public importance were already under the direct supervision of panchayats. Likewise, various works pertaining to village development were also undertaken under their guidance. He urged Sarpanchs to ensure the supervision of these works and services in a dedicated manner.

The Chief Minister called on Sarpanchs to stay away from any undue interference in these works. He said it was unfortunate that several village works were jeopardised due to widespread groupism. Mann urged Sarpanchs to accord top priority to abolishing groupism in villages.

The Chief Minister said that in a democracy, the person or party that attained majority was the winner, but once elected, a Sarpanch belonged to the whole village. He said Sarpanchs should treat every resident of the village equally and decisions must be taken neutrally. Mann said there were several Sarpanchs who had transformed their villages with their wisdom and foresight.

The Chief Minister said that every third house in Punjab had NRIs and Sarpanchs should coordinate with them to ensure they became active partners in village development. He said Sarpanchs should also focus on making their villages drug-free to wean away youth from the menace of drugs. Mann also said Sarpanchs should work hard to cement the ethos of communal harmony, peace, and brotherhood in villages.

The Chief Minister said it was imperative to give further fillip to the pace of development and prosperity in villages. He assured Sarpanchs that there was no dearth of funds for undertaking developmental work in villages. He asked Sarpanchs to prioritise the development work of their villages so that the state government could start the work. Mann said panchayats must pass resolutions for holistic village development, adding that the state government would leave no stone unturned for it.

The Chief Minister urged everyone to play a proactive role in transforming Punjab’s villages by starting a constructive campaign to carve out a ‘Rangla Punjab’. He also asked Sarpanchs to work hard to make villages clean, green, and pollution-free. Mann said health, education, power, water, and infrastructure were the top five priorities of his government.

The Chief Minister said the state government had given more than 45,000 jobs to the state’s youth in a transparent manner. He said 90% of the state’s households were getting free power due to the concerted efforts of the Punjab government. Mann said the state government had roped in several top industrialists, including Tata Steel, who would provide jobs to the local youth.

The Chief Minister said that while earlier governments had plundered the state’s and country’s wealth, the AAP government was solely focused on development. He said AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal had shown a new way to people, and the state government was working as per his vision to benefit the people. Mann assured the people that the state government would ensure the state’s progress and people’s prosperity.

Cabinet Ministers, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha MPs, MLAs, and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.