COVID-19 : Punjab CM empowers Gram Panchayats to buy medicines, food for poor

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has empowered gram panchayats to buy medicines and food for the daily wage laborers and poor people out of the funds at their disposal, informed Public Relations Department, Punjab Government.

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], Mar 28 : Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has empowered gram panchayats to buy medicines and food for the daily wage laborers and poor people out of the funds at their disposal, informed Public Relations Department, Punjab Government.

Each Gram Panchayat has been authorised to spend up to Rs. 5000 daily subject to a maximum expenditure of Rs 50,000.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister has permitted Municipal Bodies to buy medicines and food for daily wagers and poor persons as well as fodder for 'gaushalas' out of Municipal Funds at their disposal.

Disclosing this, a spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office said that detailed instructions have been issued in this regard by the Local Government Department to enable all the Municipal Corporations, Committees and Councils/Nagar Panchayats to bear the necessary expenditure on this count to mitigate the hardships faced by the urban poor amid the curfew imposed in the state in the light of the COVID-19 crisis.

Declaring these expenses as a fit charge in view of the prevailing crisis, Captain Amarinder Singh has directed the Local Government Department to utilize the municipal funds under the relevant provisions of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act 1976 and of Punjab Municipal Act 1911.

Given the large populations in these cities, the Municipal Corporations of Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar have been empowered with the daily expenditure of Rs one lakh, subject to the maximum limit of Rs 20 lakh for the entire period of lockdown/curfew. The other Municipal Corporations would be entitled to spend up to Rs 50,000 daily, subject to maximum Rs 10 lakh during the lockdown/curfew period.

Likewise, the Nagar Councils (A- Class Municipal Committees) have been empowered to incur an expenditure of Rs 25,000 daily, with a maximum limit of expenditure up to Rs 5 lakh during the period of lockdown and curfew. The Nagar Councils (Class B & C)/Nagar Panchayats would be eligible to bear the expenditure of Rs 15000 daily on this count, subject to the maximum amount of Rs 2.5 lakh during the entire lockdown and curfew period.

On Friday, the Chief Minister had authorized Sarpanches to use Panchayat funds to provide emergency relief to the poor and needy.

( With inputs from ANI )