At least here is good news..
U’khand to set up drinking water projects with World Bank help
Dehradun, 21 Nov: The Uttarakhand Government has penned an agreement with the World Bank to construct drinking water projects in Sector Wide Approaches (SWAps) mode. The time frame for the 350 million dollar (Rs 1505 crores) project is between 30 November 2006 and 30 June 2012, Irrigation Minister Matbar Singh Kandari has stated. In an official release, today, he has said that the Drinking Water projects with a budget of Rs 550 crores would be constructed in Outer Side SWAps mode. However, under this project, only the restructuring and reconstruction works would be taken up, he said. The projects would be undertaken jointly by Swajal, Jal Sansthan and Peyjal Nigam.
Kandari said that Single Village Drinking Water projects would be undertaken by Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan and Swajal.
Meanwhile, multi village projects would be taken up by the Peyjal Nigam. After that, he said, the projects would be looked after by Consumers’ Drinking Water and Water Cleanliness Committees of the respective Gram Sabhas. The Minister stressed that for efficient implementation of the SWAps Mode, the formation of the Committees were necessary. Any Gram Sabhas that has not formed the Committees would be left without any projects, he asserted.
He said that people’s participation was ensured by ensuring nominal amount of cash involvement and voluntary labour. Kandari said that the present government had reduced the villagers’ share after discussion with the WB. He pointed out that members of the general category had to contribute a maximum of Rs 600, out of which Rs 120 had to be paid in cash and the remaining through voluntary service. Every family had to make a contribution of Rs 300 for a Stand Post in their mohallas, out of which Rs 60 had to be paid in cash and the remaining through voluntary service. SC and ST families had to pay Rs 30 in cash and Rs 270 through labour. Similarly, for Stand Posts, they would have to pay Rs 30 in cash and Rs 135 through labour.
The Irrigation Minister said that the World Bank would provide Rs 500 crores and government had to pay back the principal amount in 35 years. The government would not have to pay premiums for ten years. No interest would devolve on the state government, except for service charge at the rate of 0.75 per cent. He said that in case the projects worth Rs 500 crores were completed in the stipulated time (30 June 2012), the World Bank would not impose any interest on the additional amount.
Kandari has called on all the Gram Sabhas to form the Consumers and Water Cleanliness Committees in their respective areas so that the maximum number could make use of the opportunity.
