Over Rs22 crore for developing border areas in Punjab

The Centre will spend Rs22.25 crore for the development of borders areas in Punjab, a senior official said today.Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Ferozepur are the districts to be included during the current financial year, as part of Rs900 crore-plan to develop border areas all over the country.A team of the planning commission, led by Dr Indu Patnaik, visited borders areas of Gurdaspur district including Bamial, Kalanour and Dera Baba Nanak areas.Patnaik said that border villages are still deprived of basic infrastructure including roads, schools and drinking water and the district administration should expedite work on all centrally-sponsored schemes initiated under Border Area Development Programme.The central team, which is currently visiting the district at the behest of minister of state for planning, Ashwani Kumar, who also hails from Gurdaspur, is also expected to apprise the central governments about the problems being faced by border residents.