Our Aim Is to Pull Youth Out of Drugs and Encourage Them Towards Sports: Tarunpreet Singh Sond

Chandigarh(The Uttam Hindu): Punjab Cabinet Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond outlined the AAP government’s stand on the progress and quality of rural playgrounds being developed across the state. He said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab government is constructing 3,100 rural playgrounds across the state, with the primary objective of pulling youth out of the trap of drugs and encouraging them towards sports.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Minister Sond said that to ensure complete transparency in the project, the government has deployed three special flying squads. These teams will function as the government’s “eyes and ears” and will conduct on-ground inspections in villages across Punjab. He made it clear that mere paperwork will no longer be accepted and that the quality of work must be visibly evident on the ground.

He further informed that for ground-level reporting of playground development, an MIS portal has been developed. Under this system, the concerned officials are required to submit progress reports every 15 days, along with photographs and geo-tagging.

Sending a strong message on systemic reforms, the Cabinet Minister said that wherever false reporting or negligence in work has been found, immediate action has been taken. Several officials have been suspended and show-cause notices have been issued. He categorically stated that no political interference will be tolerated in such matters.

Sond said that uniform technical standards have been implemented across Punjab. For effective monitoring, third-party techno-financial audits are being carried out. He added that every single penny of public money is being carefully accounted for so that rural Punjab receives world-class infrastructure.

He further said that sarpanches, gram panchayats and local sports clubs have been made key stakeholders in this mission. These institutions are not merely spectators but active partners who will help monitor development work in their respective villages.

Responding to questions raised by the opposition, Sond said that honest officials have nothing to fear. Punishment will be only for those involved in false reporting or corruption. He added that accountability has been made system-driven rather than individual-centric.

Reiterating the government’s commitment, the Cabinet Minister said that the Punjab government is fully dedicated to safeguarding the future of the youth. “This is the new Punjab, where playgrounds will not only be built, but the whole procedure will be transparent,” he asserted.