Karnataka - Others   

47 drinking water schemes sanctioned

Correspondent

The projects will be taken up at a cost of Rs. 284.94 crores: Minister

CHIKMAGALUR: B. Satyanarayana, Minister of State for Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Panchayat Raj Engineering, said here on Monday that 47 new surface water drinking water schemes have been sanctioned in the State. They will be taken up at a cost of Rs. 284.94 crores.

Speaking to presspersons, Mr. Satyanarayana said 403 villages will get permanent drinking water from these schemes. Of these, three schemes will be implemented in Chikmagalur district at a cost of Rs. 15.14 crores.

He said annual grants for drinking water schemes have been increased from Rs. 125 crores to Rs. 200 crores from last year. The Government has released Rs. 122 crores this year and the balance grant will be released this month.

The Minister announced that grants for drinking water schemes will go up to Rs. 850 crores from next year which includes Rs. 350 crores under the World Bank-sponsored Jalanirmala scheme and Rs. 250 crores each from the Union and State Governments.

Expressing confidence that all drinking water problems will be solved within the next five years, he said a Rs. 4,000-crore proposal has been submitted to the Centre to provide safe drinking water to 21,008 habitations where the water has become contaminated.

Of the 45,000 primary schools in the State, 22,000 schools have been provided with drinking water facilities and the others will be covered before the end of 2006. He said Rs. 75 crores have been provided by the State and Central sectors under the Suvarna Jala scheme for this.

Mr. Satyanarayana said the Government has initiated training programmes for gram panchayat staff to make the decentralised system of administration more efficient. This is being done in view of the increase in grants and responsibilities being bestowed on panchayats.

Stressing the need to strengthen panchayats, he said they needed technical and mechanical support staff. Under the panchayat raj engineering wing one engineer will be deputed to attend to the needs of two or three panchayats.

Review meeting

Presiding over a meeting to review the progress of drinking water schemes in the district, Mr. Satyanarayana expressed dissatisfaction that many emergency drinking water schemes proposed by the taluk task forces have not been implemented. He was responding to complaints from MLAs who head the task forces.

The legislators were not happy with the observation of M. Manjunath Naik, Chief Executive Officer of the zilla panchayat, who said that the progress of drinking water schemes in the district was satisfactory and there was no serious problem anywhere.

S.L. Dharme Gowda said there was scanty rainfall in his constituency and 40 villages will face severe drinking water problems.

Welcoming the decision of the Government to entrust the implementation of drinking water schemes to panchayats, he said panchayats will find it difficult to bear this responsibility due to shortage of funds.

C.T. Ravi said the decision taken at a task force meeting about a year ago to install borewells in areas facing acute water shortage has not been implemented.

K.M. Krishnamurthy said many tanks in the plains had not filled up and the rain received this year was sufficient only to grow crops.

Hiremath, Director of Infrastructure Development Department, was present.

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