Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Tuesday announced that the Government will sign a formal agreement with Tata Steel under which urban slums in eastern areas of the city located outside Tata Steel lease area will be getting drinking water from JUSCO (Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company,) a Tata Steel subsidiary in April.
He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of the nearly 2 km long newly widened Tinplate—Kadani Road at Baridih Postal Park
“We are aware of the situation and want to ensure that every citizen gets better civic amenities. We have already held talks with Tata Steel who has agreed to supply drinking water to the urban slums which has been facing water crisis during summer. It will be in the form of a cost sharing basis between Government and Tata Steel on the ratio of 60:40. Soon after the finalization of the agreement drinking water supply will begin in the month of April,” said Raghubar Das.
Incidentally, the `28-crore Moharda drinking water project, the pet project of the Chief Minister, is yet be fully operational. After the agreement, JUSCO will be supplying water using the infrastructure at the Moharda drinking water project.
The foundation stone of the water project of the project was laid by the then Chief Minister Arjun Munda and then state urban development minister Raghubar Das in September 2006. It was scheduled to be complete in 2008. The project is expected to provide piped drinking water to around 1.5 lakh populace residing in Bagunhatu, Bagunnagar, Baridih, Birsanagar, Moharda and Hurlung.
“We are making steady progress on every front and soon Tata Steel subsidiary JUSCO will also be supplying electricity in these urban slums and an agreement in this connection will also be reached soon between Government and Tata Steel. However, for either electricity or water the people of urban slums should be ready to pay their bills to enjoy better facilities,” said Das.
The Chief Minister also stressed upon the Government focus on infrastructure in the next fiscal. “Better roads are way to progress and development. We want to spread the road network of high quality standard. The Government will not compromise on the quality of work at all. We have allocated `4000-crore on infrastructure with focus on construction of roads and by 2017 there will be a network of good roads connecting districts to blocks and district to districts in the State,” said Das.
He went on to add that the Government will ensure ‘Good Governance’ in the State. We need to ensure that the development work is carried smoothly. However, if they find any irregularities they can raise their voice,” said Das.
He said the Government would work efficiently in bringing speedy development, providing basic amenities and improving policing. He also said that ensuring corruption free governance will be his foremost priority. He also emphasised that his Government would be accountable and ensure rapid development by utilising the abundance of natural resources.
Tata Steel vice-president (corporate services), Sunil Bhaskarn and Jusco MD Ashish Mathur were also present at the inaugural ceremony of newly widened road at Tinplate roundabout.
The road has been repaired and widened at a cost of nearly `5-crore from a double lane to four-lane in a span of one year. The road connects Tinplate roundabout to densely populated localities like Baridih and Birsanagar.