Since most of the districts of the State are badly hit by high fluoride contents in groundwater, the Government has gone ahead sanctioning a scheme to install safe drinking water supply system covering as many as 233 hamlets of 15 districts.
Informing about the Cabinet decision taken in this regard on Tuesday, Additional Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh said the scheme would be implemented through localised piped water supply mechanism.
“The Cabinet has approved Rs 103.68 crore for installation of high yielding tube wells fitted with water treatment units, storage tanks and water pipelines. Total 323 schemes for 233 hamlets of 15 districts have been identified where the fluoride content in groundwater is very high. The work would be allotted through tender and the firm would have to maintain the system for 10 years,” said the official.
Water divisions of the districts namely Bokaro, Chatra, Dumka, Garhwa, Godda, Hazaribagh, Jamtara, Palamu, Ranchi, Pakur, Sahibgunj, Ramgarh and Simdega would be brought under the fluoride-free water supply scheme.
In a policy decision, differing from earlier system in place for implementation of the schemes under National Rural Drinking Water Projects, the State now would complete the projects on its own and then seek reimbursement from the Centre.
“This decision has been taken after the Centre amended its funding pattern making it mandatory for the State to get the DPR approved first and then spend from State fund before asking for Centre’s part. The change in the policy has been made by the Cabinet now,” said Sukhdev Singh. At the same, remaining cost of Kanchi Bear scheme for command area development, Rs 85.75 crore, would now be borne by the State fund as the Centre has closed the project.
On the front of women empowerment, the Cabinet identified 20 districts of the State where Nari Shakti Kendras would be setup. The centres would be run for knowledge empowerment of women by imparting skill training to them. “Eight blocks of the every selected district, totaling 160 blocks, would see the centres coming up at the cost of Rs 59.71 crore. The scheme would be run for 2017-18 and 2018-19,” said Singh.
He also informed that construction of four software parks coming up at Dhanbad, Jamshedpur, Deoghar and Bokaro earlier done by JINFRA would be handed over to Building Construction Corporation at 5 per cent consultancy charge like before. In another decision, transportation of food grains for PDS would now be done through electronic platform NeMl who on their part furnishes a list of qualified contractors to do the work.