Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) ,344.31 lakh labour days have been achieved in the financial year 2023-24, surpassing the initial target of 275 lakh labour days. For 2024-25, a target of 300 lakh labour days has been set, of which, 214.51 lakh labour days have already been earned, he said here on Thursday while presiding over a review meeting of the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department.

Reiterating his government’s commitment to deliver essential services to citizens at their doorsteps, he informed that marriage, birth, and death certificates issued by Gram Panchayats across the state will soon be available online.The state’s economy can only be strengthened through robust rural development and the successful implementation of various schemes is essential for this goal, stated Sukhu while highlighting the state’s progress in making villages Open Defecation Free (ODF) plus models.

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“In the year 2024-25, a total of 17,582 villages will be transformed into ODF plus models, and 9,203 villages have already achieved this status. An additional 2,347 villages have been verified as ODF plus,” he said. Furthermore, 32 plastic waste management units have been constructed in various development blocks with 26 units already operational, he said, adding that  these units will eventually be established in all development blocks. Highligjting the efforts being made under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) for women’s empowerment, he said that the state has formed 43,161 self-help groups (SHGs) to date providing them with financial assistance to boost their economic activities.

“The success of innovative initiatives under the State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM) including the opening of 93 ‘Himera’ shops that have collectively sold products worth Rs 1.4 crore during the 2023-24 financial year. Additionally, 80 weekly markets organized by SRLM facilitated sales worth Rs 1.2 crore in the same period,” he said. He announced plans to create an online platform for SHGs to market their products, further enhancing their reach and sustainability. He said that the products prepared by ‘Himera’ were being developed as premium brands for availability in reputed institutes and will soon be displayed in various exhibitions to be organised in Delhi and Chandigarh.

Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh, reaffirmed the state government’s visionary approach toward empowering gram Panchayats and development of rural areas of the state. He emphasized that coordinated efforts among various stakeholders were critical for the successful implementation of departmental schemes.