Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday said that Zila Parishads should get the work done with honesty and transparency and there will be no shortage of funds for development works, asking them to make better plans for the beautification of every district.

Presiding over the state-level meeting organized here with District Project Managers (DPMs), chairmen, Zila Parishads and chief executive officers regarding empowerment, increase in funds and work of Zila Parishads, Khattar  said that the state government will further strengthen the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). “For this, PRIs have been given more rights. All Zila Parishads should get their separate office buildings constructed in each district. A separate engineering wing has been constituted in Zila Parishads and they would be empowered on the lines of Karnataka; having their own budget of crores of rupees and would be able to take independent decisions,” he added.

 Khattar said that the buildings of Zila Parishads are under construction in two districts and the construction work of buildings in two other districts will be started soon. He directed the chief executive officers to complete the task of selecting the land for the six district buildings at the earliest. A budget of Rs 110 crore has been allotted to Zila Parishads and more budget will be allotted in the next financial year.

The Chief Minister said that Zila Parishads should carry out works like constructing bus queue shelters and e-libraries. “Apart from this, under the Shiv-Dham Yojana, the Zila Parishads should get the works of roads, boundary walls, sheds and drinking water done. Also, works of installation of street lights in five villages with high population in each block, repairing Primary Health Centres and schools in rural areas and making 5 Karam roads metalled (pucca) should be done by the Zila Parishads,” he added.

Khattatr said that along with the construction work of Anganwadi centres and their maintenance, the Zila Parishads should monitor the mid-day meal scheme and give feedback. “The process of door-to-door garbage collection should also be started soon for the cleanliness campaign. For this, by taking the cooperation of all the citizens, the Zila Parishads should ensure that separate disposal of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste is done under the Solid Waste Management Scheme,” he said, adding that special emphasis should be laid on cleanliness in the villages.