Kawardha Municipal Council set to bag national award

Union Ministry of Urban Development has announced that Kawardha Municipal Council will be awarded First Prize for the Best implementation of Bhagirathi Nal-Jal Yojana— a scheme conducted by Urban Administration and Development Department by the Chhattisgarh Government.

This National Award is being conferred upon Kawardha Municipal Council for the implementation of Bhagirathi scheme in year 2011-12. This is the second time when this scheme of the State Government has been awarded National Urban Water Award by Central Government. Earlier in year 2008-09, State Urban Development Agency and Bhilai Municipal Corporation jointly received this award for commendable implementation of this scheme.Kawardha Municipal Council would receive the award by Union Minister of Urban Development Kamal Nath in a ceremony to be organised at Science Building, New Delhi by month-end.

Chief Minister Raman Singh has congratulated Kawardha Municipal Council and the people of Kawardha for this major achievement.

It is noteworthy that Chhattisgarh Government is operating Bhagirathi Nal-Jal Yojana to provide free of cost water connection to the poor hamlets of urban areas. The scheme was started on the instructions of Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh in year 2008-09. Till date, About 70,252 poor families have been provided free water connections by the State Government under the scheme.  In this financial year 2013-14, State Government has set the target of benefitting about 1 lakh poor families of urban areas in Chhattisgarh under the scheme by March, 2014.

According to the information received from Chief Executive Officer of State Urban Development Agency Dr Rohit Yadav, in year 2008-09 also the Chhattisgarh Government was awarded National Award by the Central Government for implementation of Bhagirathi Nal-Jal Scheme. At that time, State Urban Development Agency (the nodal agency appointed for the scheme) and Bhilai Municipal Corporation were jointly awarded with the National Award. Under this scheme, the State Government provides subsidy of `3,000 per family to the urban development bodies through the State Urban Development Agency. 

Beneficiaries were charged with the nominal monthly water cess of `60 only. Kawardha Municipal Council had provided water connection to 7,236 houses in the city in year 2010, after the successful completion of its water augmentation scheme. Out of which, about 3,008 water connections were provided under Bhagirathi Nal-jal Scheme.  As a result of which, Municipal Council’s income from water cess increased from `17.28 lakh to `84.82 lakh.