Government plans 65 new parks under MGNREGA scheme to make rural folk health conscious

Ferozepur: In a unique initiative to ensure the holistic development of the villages and to bring rural folk more close to nature, the Rural Development and Panchayat Department has come up with an innovative idea to raise 65 beautiful parks across the district under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MG-NREGA).
 

Divulging the details, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Mr. Ravinderpal Singh Sandhu said that the department has planned to set up 65 new parks in the villages that include 15 parks in Ghall Khurd block, 10 each in Guruharsahai, Zira, Ferozepur, Makhu, and Mamdot blocks. He further added that these parks were being developed by transforming vacant government lands of the villages into beautiful parks as these parks would be furnished with landscaping work, plantation, pavements for pedestrians, and lighting systems for an evening walk.
 

The ADC said that this concept would be a catalyst to make rural folk more concerned about their health, besides bringing them more close to nature, and giving a decent look to the adjoining localities. He said that the first such park was developed in Mamdot block at the cost of worth Rs. 26.45 Lakh and hence dedicated to villagers.
 

Pointing out further, District Development and Panchayat Officer Mr. Harjinder Singh said that developing such green parks was need of the hour to deal with the increasing pollution levels in our towns. The DDPO added that the construction work on 29 parks was underway comprising four parks in Ghall Khurd block, seven, three, two, five, and eight parks in Guruharsahai, Zira, Ferozepur, Makhu, and Mamdot blocks respectively. The work on remaining parks would start in due course of time adding he said that these parks would encourage masses to grow more trees and trigger the park culture in their localities.
 

Mr. Harjinder Singh said that this project was not only environment-friendly but also helping unemployed rural workforce to have guaranteed job opportunities under the MGNREGA scheme as an adequate proportion of total funds were spent on employment in each project. He said that usually the workforce was hired from the same village where any project starts, which opens ample work opportunities for the needy and unemployed people.