Chief Minister Raman Singh instructed senior officers to focus on constructing new ponds in rural areas and anicut on minor rivers and canals to raise the water level.
He issued the instructions while presiding over a meeting of Raigarh, Bilaspur and Janjgir-Champa district officers at the Divisional headquarters Bilaspur late on Friday night.
He expressed his concern over the alarming fall in water level in various parts of the state. Singh ordered the officers that construction of ponds in villages should be taken up on a war-footing level under the MGNREGA scheme.
The cleaning of ponds in rural areas should be taken up with the active participation of the common people before the onset of Monsoon which is likely to hit the state in June second week.
The meeting decided to construct small ‘dabri’ on Government cost on lands of farmers’ who have 10-acre agriculture land. The farmers should be encouraged to take up projects. Chief Minister Singh completed three-district whirlwind tour and attended the meeting.
Singh took serious exception to the misuse of irrigation water in some villages in the name of filling agricultural ponds. He called upon the district Collectors and Water Resources Department officials to maintain strict vigil on the misuse of irrigation water.
He asked top officers to sign an agreement with the industrial units in Raigarh and Janjgir-Champa districts regarding water usage contracts within six months. Chief Minister instructed the Industries Department and Public Health Engineering Department officials to monitor the hand-pumps on the premises of industries in the districts.
Singh stressed upon the need for providing training to teachers to improve the quality of education in the entire state. He expressed concern over the rising road accidents and deaths in Chhattisgarh and urged the top police officers to spread awareness among the masses regarding the traffic safety. Strict action should be taken against drunken driving.
Urban Administration Minister Amar Agrawal, Parliamentary Secretary Rajusingh Kshatriya, Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand and top officers of various government department attended the .
Chief Secretary instructed the districts officers to provide photo-copies of maps and other documents to the farmers free of cost.
He advised officers to distribute crop insurance amount to the farmers as soon as possible. Seeds are being distributed free of cost to the farmers in the drought-affected regions of the state.
The meeting discussed youth skills' up-gradation, self-employment, steps to encourage institutional deliveries, leprosy-free mission, Generic drugs and jan-aushadi centers, functioning of lok Sewa Kendras, land records computerization, tendu patta collection and several other important issues.