Governor of Punjab Honours Excellence in Governance at "Sampooranta Abhiyaan Samman Samaroh"
Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh-
The Governor of Punjab, Gulab Chand Kataria, on Friday formally suggested the inclusion of the state's border blocks under NITI Aayog’s Aspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks Programmes. This proposal comes as a strategic response to the discontinuation of the Border Area Development programme, with the Governor emphasizing that these blocks require a robust framework to ensure they are not left behind in the nation’s developmental journey.
Presiding over the ‘Sampooranta Abhiyaan Samman Samaroh’ organised to recognize the outstanding achievements of districts and blocks under NITI Aayog’s Aspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks Programmes, Punjab Governor said that the government can leverage targeted transformation and convergence-based action to fill the void left by previous funding structures by integrating these border area blocks into the Aspirational framework. The Governor lauded the collaborative governance that has turned development into a mass movement in Punjab. He emphasized that these programmes represent a bold shift from incremental progress to targeted transformation and from isolated schemes to convergence-based action. He said that true development is not measured by the progress of the fastest, but by the upliftment of the weakest.
In his keynote address, Rohit Kumar, Additional Secretary, Government of India and Mission Director of Aspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks Programmes at NITI Aayog, highlighted that the programme's success hinges on the three Cs: convergence, collaboration, and competition. He explained that the core objective is to transform Aspirational Districts and Blocks into inspirational models. He expressed satisfaction that within a short span, numerous districts and blocks across the country have not only surpassed national and state averages but have also set new benchmarks. He attributed this success to collective teamwork and collaboration, and assured that he would present the state's proposal to include border villages in the programme during the NITI Aayog meeting.
In her welcome address, Additional Chief Secretary Planning Jaspreet Talwar highlighted Punjab's participation, mentioning that this programme covers two Aspirational Districts, Ferozepur and Moga, and ten blocks across seven districts. She highlighted that Ferozepur and Moga's good performance under the programme has made them eligible for performance-based incentive grants. She also appealed the NITI Aayog to include border blocks of the state under this programme.
The ceremony honoured both current and former District Collectors for their leadership in driving these initiatives. Among the current officers, Deputy Commissioner Ferozepur Deepshikha Sharma and Deputy Commissioner Jalandhar Himanshu Aggarwal received Cooper Medals; while Deputy Commissioner Moga Sagar Setia and Deputy Commissioner Kapurthala Amit Kumar Panchal were awarded Bronze Medals. Former DCs including Kulwant Singh (Moga), Vishesh Sarangal (Moga), and Rajesh Dhiman (Ferozepur) were also recognized for their contributions with certificates and awards.