Bhupesh Baghel, Centre assure making Chhattisgarh 'Har Ghar Jal' State by Sept 2023

Union Minister of Jal Shakti Ministry, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel assured making Chhattisgarh 'Har Ghar Jal' State by September 2023 on Saturday.

Both the ministers jointly reviewed the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission in the State at the Chief Minister House in Raipur yesterday.

The Chief Minister assured the visiting Union minister that the State will take all necessary steps to accelerate the pace of implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission and provide tap water supply to the remaining 39.59 lakh households in Chhattisgarh by September 2023.

Union Minister of Jal Shakti assured the Chief Minister of all support to State to achieve 'Har Ghar Jal' target. "It is with the aim to translate Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of providing clean tap water to every household in the country by 2024," informed the official release by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

The Chief Minister assured that the State will undertake an intensive monthly review to provide assured tap water supply to every rural household inadequate quantity of prescribed quality on a regular and long-term basis.

At the time of the launch of Jal Jeevan Mission, out of a total of 45.48 lakh households in Chhatisgarh, only 3.20 lakh (7 per cent) households had tap water connections. In 23 months, despite the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown disruptions, 2.69 lakh households have been provided with tap water connections. As a result, now, 5.89 lakh households (13 per cent) in villages of Chhattisgarh have a tap water supply.

To become 'Har Ghar Jal', the State has planned to provide tap water connections to 22.14 lakh households in 2021-22, 11.37 lakh tap water connections in 2022-23 and the remaining 6.29 lakh tap water connections in 2023-24.

Keeping in view of the State's firm resolve to ensure potable tap water supply to every home, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has increased the Central grant to Chhattisgarh in 2021-22 to Rs 1,908.96 crore, which was four times to Rs 445.52 crore allocated in 2020-21.

National Jal Jeevan Mission has also released Rs 453.71 crores to the State as a first tranche. This year with a four-fold increase in Central allocation (Rs 1,908.96 crores), the unspent balance of Rs 168.52 crore and shortfall of Rs 113.04 crore in State matching share in 2020-21, and matching State's share in the current year, the State has an assured availability of Rs 4,268 crore for providing tap water supply in 2021-22. Thus, there is no paucity of fund.

In 2021-22, Rs. 646 Crore has been allocated to Chhattisgarh as the 15th FC tied grant for water & sanitation to Rural Local Bodies/ Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). There is an assured funding of Rs 3,402 crores for the next five years i.e. up to 2025-26. This huge investment in rural areas of Chhattisgarh, will create new employment opportunities, accelerate economic activities and boost the rural economy. It will create income-generating opportunities in villages.

(ANI)

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