Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann held a high-level meeting with the Deputy Commissioners of all the districts in Chandigarh. In this meeting he reviewed the issue of providing civil services in the state. Presiding over the meeting at Punjab Bhawan, the Chief Minister expressed satisfaction over the work done on implementing the door-to-door services scheme in the state. He said that the objective of this ambitious scheme is to deliver 43 civic services to the doorsteps of the people. Bhagwant Singh Mann asked the Deputy Commissioners to ensure that this scheme is implemented with missionary zeal for the welfare of the people.
Chief Minister Mann said that at present 664 Aam Aadmi clinics are functioning in the state. Till now, around 98 lakh patients have availed the treatment facilities in these clinics. He said that till now the patients have availed the benefit of medicines worth Rs 40.50 crore and lab test facilities worth Rs 5.77 crore. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that 150 new Aam Aadmi Clinics will soon be dedicated to the people of the state, for which all preparations have been completed. He asked the Deputy Commissioners to ensure proper inspection of these clinics.
Instructions to work on health along with education
The Chief Minister said during the meeting that the state government has decided that all the medicines prescribed by doctors in government hospitals will be made available to the patients inside the hospital itself. He said that 276 medicines have already been included in the list of essential medicines in district hospitals and sub-divisional hospitals.
Apart from this, he said that the state government has also started the Farishte Scheme for the victims of road accidents, under which the victim will be treated free of cost in the nearest empaneled hospital. He asked the Deputy Commissioners to ensure that the district level committees investigate the expenditure in excess of the prescribed limit/days without any delay. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that 52 packages have been earmarked under this scheme across the state and 495 hospitals have been listed.
Talked about opening 13 schools of eminence
The Chief Minister also said that the state government will open 13 new Schools of Eminence in the districts of Amritsar, Bathinda, Fazilka, Fatehgarh Sahib, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, SAS Nagar and Tarn Taran. He asked the Deputy Commissioners of the respective districts to ensure timely opening of these schools, so that the students can get maximum benefit from it. Bhagwant Singh Mann also asked the Deputy Commissioners to ensure boundary walls, toilets, furniture, drinking water facilities as well as internet/Wi-Fi facilities in all the schools by March 31.
Work on Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage path
The Chief Minister also asked the officials to speed up the construction work of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra National Highway. He said that upon completion of this ambitious project, time and money will be saved for the travelers traveling from Delhi to Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, especially those wishing to pay obeisance at the Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage site. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this 254 km long highway will be built at a cost of Rs 11,510 crore and it will pass through 9 districts of the state, Jalandhar, Sangrur, Malerkotla, Patiala, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur.
