Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday announced a five-fold increase in the honorarium of sarpanches, raising it from ₹2,000 to ₹10,000 per month.Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann speaks during a ‘Sarpanch Milni’ programme, in Bathinda on Wednesday. (ANI)During a ‘sarpanch milni’ programme held in Bathinda, the CM said that monetary assistance will be revised starting August 15.Emphasising that the development of villages is the foundation of Punjab’s progress, Mann said there is no shortage of funds for rural development. He urged sarpanches to ensure transparent utilisation of public money while leading the collective effort to build a prosperous ‘Rangla’ Punjab.“Sarpanches serve villages day and night and deserve dignity and respect for their invaluable contribution. Panchayats are the first step of democracy, and they deserve a respectable honorarium for their dedicated services,” said the CM in a statement.“Previous governments had promised an honorarium of ₹1,200 to the elected village heads, but the promise was never fulfilled. However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government ensured an honorarium of ₹2,000 for sarpanches, which will now be enhanced to ₹10,000 per month,” he added.Mann said that the state government is releasing grants for works of immense public importance that panchayats directly supervise.“Various village development projects are also undertaken under their guidance and sarpanches should closely monitor these works and services,” he added.The CM urged sarpanches to give special attention to making villages drug-free and help save the youth from the menace of drugs.