The Punjab government has so far reclaimed 12,809 acres of land and handed them over to panchayats since the start of a campaign in 2022 to remove encroachments, Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond said on Saturday.

The market value of this reclaimed land exceeds Rs 3,080 crore, he added.

About 6,000 acres of the reclaimed land was leased out, generating an annual income of Rs 10.76 crore during the 2024-25 fiscal, the rural development and panchayat minister said.

During the current financial year, the rural development and panchayats department auctioned 1.36 lakh acres of 'shamlat (village common land)' for Rs 469 crore.

Another Rs 93.90 crore was generated by leasing livestock markets through e-auctions, the minister said.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin), 18,000 homes, costing about Rs 220 crore, will be completed by the end of this fiscal, he said.

In the 2025-26 fiscal, an additional 25,000 houses will be constructed.

To identify new beneficiaries, a fresh survey has been underway since November 1, with dedicated surveyors deployed in each village, Sond said.

He said the department initiated the Rural Library Scheme from Issru village (in Khanna) this year, realising Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's vision of establishing libraries in villages.

The chief minister inaugurated the first library on August 15. At present, 114 rural libraries are functional across Punjab while work on 179 is underway, he said.

The department also facilitated financial assistance for self-help groups by enabling them to secure loans worth Rs 94.35 crore from banks, according to an official statement.

Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Rs 983.98 crore was spent during the 2024-25 fiscal, generating 2.15 crore person-days of employment.

An average of 7.02 lakh rural families were provided employment under the scheme this year, according to the statement.

The department also planted 95.03 lakh saplings in 2024. Besides, 2,461 sports grounds were built and work on 1,623 is underway.

Various initiatives are being undertaken to enhance the aesthetics of villages and effectively manage waste, the minister said.

He mentioned that panchayat elections were conducted in 2024, during which 3,044 panchayats were elected unanimously.

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