Chandigarh, January 24 — Haryana’s Women and Child Development, Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Shruti Choudhry on Friday called upon village panchayats to take collective responsibility for maintaining cleanliness and hygiene in rural areas, asserting that the overall development of villages depends largely on the commitment of elected representatives.
Addressing a tractor-trolley and water tanker distribution programme held at the Panchayat Bhawan premises in Bhiwani, the minister said both the Centre and the state government are providing all possible financial assistance for rural development. The programme was organised using mining funds and benefited 42 villages of the district.
The event was presided over by Bhiwani–Mahendragarh Lok Sabha MP Chaudhary Dharambir Singh, who, along with the minister, emphasised the role of gram panchayats in ensuring holistic village development. Under the initiative, tractor-trolleys and water tankers worth approximately ₹2.84 crore were distributed to various villages. During the programme, Shruti Choudhry herself drove a tractor, conveying a message of dignity of labour and hard work.
The irrigation minister said the state government remains firmly committed to the comprehensive development of villages and stressed that panchayat representatives play a crucial role alongside the government in achieving this goal. She remarked that earlier employment schemes such as MGNREGA often resulted in token implementation, but the new VBG Ram Ji scheme would provide greater employment opportunities to needy workers, improving the economic condition of their families.
She added that the Haryana government is continuously working towards the overall development of the state and expressed confidence that Haryana will witness even greater progress in the coming years.
