CHANDIGARH: To encourage villagers not to indulge in wasteful expenditure and curb liquor use in marriage functions, the Balo village panchayat in Punjab’s Bathinda district has announced to give a cash incentive of Rs 21,000, as a token of blessing, to families who would follow the conditions. The sale of energy drinks has also been banned in the village. Ballo village sarpanch Amarjit Kaur said it is generally seen that there were frequent fights at functions where alcohol is served and they are often accompanied by loud music played by disc jockeys (DJs). It causes disturbance to the villagers, especially the students. Thus this decision was taken to encourage villagers not to indulge in wasteful expenditure on marriage functions.”The panchayat has passed a resolution under which if a family does not serve liquor and play DJ music at wedding functions, it will be given Rs 21,000,’’ the village sarpanch said. She said the initiative would encourage the villagers to embrace sober and meaningful celebrations, aligned with Punjabi culture. “We want to set an example for other villages by promoting discipline and responsibility during family events as weddings should symbolise joy and harmony, not chaos or overindulgence,’’ said Kaur. A villager said that the extravagant weddings put unnecessary pressure on families. But a a few other villagers expressed scepticism and questioned whether the incentive would be enough to bring a change. Kaur said the panchayat had sought the government to set up a stadium in the village so the youth could be encouraged to take part in sports activities. The panchayat has also proposed to set up a biogas plant in the village and free seeds would be given to farmers under the Guru Nanak Bagichi Scheme who opted for organic farming. Other resolutions passed by the panchayat include free coaching for the youths preparing for the civil services exam. The panchayat would honour a man and a woman for doing community service with Rs 11,000 on martyrdom day of Shaheed Bhagat Singh.
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