Punjab releases Rs 332 crore for rural works; next Rs 334 crore by Dec-end: Cheema
Funds split into tied and untied; 70:20:10 distribution across PRIs; Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur top allocations
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, November 13, 2025:
Punjab Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Thursday announced the release of Rs 332 crore for development works across rural areas to accelerate grassroots infrastructure, essential services and Gram Panchayat-led projects. He said the next instalment of Rs 334 crore will be released by December-end or the first week of January, ensuring a steady flow of resources for rural uplift. The outlay, he said, aligns with Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s focus on building safer, cleaner and stronger villages.
Detailing the split, Cheema said Rs 156 crore has been released as untied funds for Gram Panchayats (GPs) to take up works as per local needs, while Rs 176 crore has been earmarked as tied funds strictly for sanitation works in villages. The overall grant will be shared in the ratio of 70:20:10 among Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis and Zila Parishads, respectively.
Highlighting district-wise allocations, the minister said a total of Rs 3,329,750,900—comprising tied funds of Rs 1,766,319,970 and untied funds of Rs 1,563,430,930—has been apportioned across 22 districts. The largest allocations include Ludhiana (Rs 200,143,127 tied; Rs 133,905,292 untied), Hoshiarpur (Rs 170,847,451 tied; Rs 114,305,089 untied) and Gurdaspur (Rs 165,563,924 tied; Rs 110,770,166 untied). Other significant beneficiaries include Sangrur, Patiala, Jalandhar, Firozepur, Fazilka, Moga, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Sri Muktsar Sahib and Tarn Taran.
Responding to a query on Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Bittu’s allegation of fund misuse, Cheema termed the remarks “misinformed” and cited the SNA-SPARSH mechanism, under which, after the state credits its share as per the scheme’s pattern, the Government of India directly credits its share into the scheme’s RBI account, enabling real-time payments and oversight. He also urged the Union government to share the layout plan for the Rajpura–Chandigarh railway line with the state.
Cheema reiterated the government’s broader rural and youth development push, noting the recarpeting of 19,000 km of roads at a cost of Rs 4,150 crore, an outlay of Rs 1,000 crore for sports stadiums, and about 250 sports nurseries already constructed and readied.