Punjab village receives 'Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman' for waste management, sets example for state
Chandigarh (PTI): Peroshah village in Punjab's Gurdaspur district, with a population of over 1,000, has earned national-level recognition for properly managing solid and liquid waste.
Harjinder Kaur, the sarpanch of the village, which has been declared a model ODF (open defecation free) Plus, received Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman 2023' by President Droupadi Murmu on March 4 for a commendable work in the sanitation sector.
The event was organised by the Ministry of Jal Shakti in Delhi to honour the women achievers who have contributed towards the cause.
Kaur said that it was a proud moment to receive the award in presence of Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
Recently, Peroshah village was declared a model ODF Plus village for fulfilling the criteria stipulated in the Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen (SBM-G, Phase II) guidelines.
Under the mission's guidelines, the ODF plus title is given to a village that sustains its ODF status, ensuring visual cleanliness and proper solid and liquid waste management.
Punjab's Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Bram Shanker Jimpa congratulated the residents of Peroshah village for achieving this feat.
"Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's dream is that every village in Punjab should be a model village," he said, adding that the sanitation department is working diligently to ensure cleanliness and water supply to every village in Punjab.
"At the Delhi event, President Murmu said that people should take inspiration from Peroshah village," Kaur said.
A solid waste management and water treatment plant has also been set up in the village.
A Peroshah resident Sukhraj Singh said that the village manages its solid waste here and generates several kilograms of compost through effective management of biodegradable waste.
For this, compost pits have also been constructed for converting wet waste into compost.
"Now, nobody dumps garbage on empty plots," he said.
"The village has adopted modern techniques for liquid waste management. Dirty water is being purified by the villagers and being used for irrigation and other purposes," he said.
He said four years ago the villagers had studied how dirty water should be treated and in April, 2019 work was started to set up the plant and six months later it was set in motion, Singh said.
"Dirty water is collected and treated at the plant. We have laid an underground pipeline and supply is given to fields of farmers for irrigation," he said.
"We have also laid underground sewerage in the entire village," he said.
The village Panchayat has also set up a mini-jungle' in the village
"We further plan to build a stadium so that the energy of our youth is channelised in a positive manner," Kaur said.
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T'gana RTC strike: Talks between govt, employees successful
Hyderabad (PTI): Talks between employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) who were on strike and the state government concluded successfully on Friday as the government agreed to the key demands of the workmen.
Following a day-long marathon of talks between the leaders of the employees' Joint Action Committee (JAC) and the cabinet sub-committee, the government announced after midnight that it acceded to the demands, including a merger of RTC with the government, 11 per cent pay revision and elections to the employees' unions.
A committee comprising officials and employee leaders would be appointed over the merger of RTC with the government, it said.
The RTC management has also agreed to address the remaining issues as well, an official release said.
The employees would call off their strike and the RTC buses would hit the roads shortly, it said.
The employees had been on an indefinite strike since April 22 over a series of demands, including the merger of RTC with the government.
Earlier in the day, a driver of the RTC, who attempted suicide on April 23 during the strike, died at a hospital here in the early hours of Friday.
Shankar Goud, a 55-year-old driver, set himself ablaze by pouring petrol at Narsampet in Warangal district when the employees were staging a protest on Thursday in support of their demands.
Goud suffered serious burns, was initially admitted to a state-run hospital in Warangal, and later shifted to a super-speciality hospital in Hyderabad for advanced treatment.
"He succumbed (to injuries) at about 1.30 am on Friday," a senior official said.
The driver’s body was taken to his relative’s village, Muttojipet in Warangal district, for funeral rites.
Tension prevailed in Muttojipet as his family members and RTC employees attempted to take the body to the Narsampet bus station, where he worked, to enable his colleagues to pay their last respects. However, police did not permit this, citing law-and-order concerns.
This led to a deadlock before the funeral could proceed.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticised the Telangana government for not allowing the body to be taken to the Narsampet bus station.
Kumar, Minister of State (Home), visited Muttojipet village in Warangal district, where the funeral was held, and paid homage to Goud.
“They (family members) want to take the body to the bus depot for five minutes. Is the RTC bus depot in Pakistan or Bangladesh? They are emotionally attached to taking the body there. The government is hurting sentiments and creating fear among RTC employees,” Kumar told reporters.
He also expressed anger at the police for not allowing the body to be taken to the bus station and staged a protest, according to a release from his office.
RTC employees and BJP workers attempted to take the mortal remains in an ambulance to Narsampet, but were stopped by the police.
Later, after discussions with the police, the family members and RTC employees agreed to conduct the funeral in the village.
Sanjay Kumar, stating he would abide by the family’s decision, left the village after the funeral was conducted there.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh, a house, and a government job would be provided to the kin of Goud.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the employee’s death and conveyed deep condolences to the grieving family, according to the release.
The RTC employees’ JAC had earlier announced an agitation programme from April 24 to 29, including silent marches and submission of memorandums to MLAs and other leaders.
