DHARWAD: The withdrawal of powers from gram panchayats for the execution of rural water supply schemes is only a temporary measure, the Minister of State for Rural Drinking Water Supply, B. Sathyanarayana, said here today.

Emergency works

Responding to presspersons who questioned the propriety of the Government withdrawing the powers only recently given to the gram panchayat and entrusting them to task forces under the chairmanship of the local MLA, Mr. Sathyanarayana said the task forces have been entrusted with emergency works and they will be functional only up to the end of June. He said the Government felt that the gram panchayats, as they are constituted, do not have the capacity to handle emergency water supply works. The Government will hand back the powers back to the gram panchayats after ensuring that they have the capacity to handle the job, he said.

Mr. Sathyanarayana said there is no dearth of funds for meeting the drinking water requirements. What is lacking is coordination and cooperation between the departments concerned for the expeditious execution of schemes on an emergency basis.

Earlier, the Minister held a meeting with officials and people's representatives to review the drinking water arrangements in the district. Only two of the five legislators were present at the meeting along with the President and the Vice-President of the Dharwad Zilla Panchayat, apart from officials.

Mr. Sathyanarayana told the meeting that the situation in the district, where water sources are available, is comparatively better than in districts such as Kolar and Tumkur, where water is not available. In Dharwad district, supply is problematic 41 of the 93 villages. While alternative schemes have started working in 25 villages, the delay in providing power connection is holding up the commissioning of schemes in 16 villages. He had directed that the situation be rectified within two to three days, he said.

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