By IANS,
Kurukshetra (Haryana): Nearly 68,000 elected representatives of panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) were collectively administered the oath of office by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda here Sunday.
Among the elected representatives of hundreds of panchayats (village councils), were over 24,800 women elected to various posts at the village and block levels.
Hooda administered the oath to the mammoth gathering in Hindi at a theme park in this Hindu holy city, 100 km from Chandigarh.
The entire gathering stood up while collectively taking oath.
“I want you all to serve people with full dedication. Development should be everyone’s goal,” Hooda told the gathering after the oath-taking ceremony.
Elections to the 67,994 posts of various PRIs were conducted in July with 151,113 candidates in the fray. The elections saw nearly 84 percent voting.
Hooda announced that Rs.1,200 crore would be spent on the development of rural areas and Rs.250 crore would be transferred directly to the accounts of PRIs during this financial year.
“Before leaving Chandigarh for this function, I ordered that the first instalment of Rs.50 crore be got deposited to all such accounts,” Hooda announced amid applause.