Chandigarh, Oct 25 (IANS): Starting with two villages in the worst affected district of Muktsar, the Punjab government Saturday launched a scheme for develpment of infrastructure in these villages.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, while launching the scheme in Ratta Khera and Ratta Khera Chota villages, said that the Punjab government was committed to tackle the water-logging problem in the area.

Badal said that under the scheme, development of infrastructure and promotion of skill training and allied farming sectors would be a priority.

Both villages will be developed as model villages at a cost of Rs.23 crore, Badal said.

Areas of south-west Punjab are severely affected by water-logging problem in the last few years.

Badal said that the scheme would be replicated in other parts of the state after getting the desired results in these two villages.

He said that in the last two decades, these two villages had been adversely affected due to the water logging and people were confronting a lot of economic and social problems.

Badal said that under this project Rs.23 crore would be spent on various development works in these villages, which include construction of toilets, schools, community sheds, anganwari centres, new houses and repair of old houses besides various others public centric projects.