The Hindu : 'Swajaladhara' to be taken up in 22 GPs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 12, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

'Swajaladhara' to be taken up in 22 GPs

By Our Staff Correspondent

Raichur April 11. The Union Ministry for Rural Development has approved a proposal for implementing the "Swajaladhara" scheme in 22 gram panchayats, including 17 in Manvi and five in Sindhanoor Assembly constituencies in Raichur District, to supply safe drinking water.

N.S.Bose Raju, Manvi MLA and Chairman of the Hyderabad Karnataka Development Board, told presspersons today that the Union Government recently approved the "Swajaladhara" scheme aimed at institutionalising people's participation in rural water supply schemes.

He said that a few months ago, the State Government submitted a proposal to the Union Ministry of Rural Development seeking its sanction for implementing the scheme in about 50 gram panchayats in Manvi Assembly Constituency to augment drinking water supply in problem villages. The ministry gave its administrative approval last month to implement the scheme in 17 gram panchayts in Manvi taluk and five in Sindhanoor taluk, where the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes constitute 50 per cent of the population. The Union Government would contribute its share of Rs.147.395 lakh and the remaining amount had to be invested by the beneficiaries to implement the scheme as a community-based programme.

He said the zilla panchayat would be the implementing agency for the scheme, which had to work in coordination with the selected gram panchayats in the planning, execution, operation, and maintenance of the schemes with the involvement of the beneficiaries. The beneficiaries would have to share at least 10 per cent of the cost, with 5 per cent coming from the gram panchayats concerned. The scheme would be implemented jointly by the gram panchayats and the beneficiaries.

All sanctioned schemes would have to be executed within 12 months from the date of receipt of first instalment from the Union Government. The second instalment would be released after the implementing agency submitted its utilisation certificate for 60 per cent utilisation of funds. However, the release of the second instalment would be subject to the satisfaction of the ministry. It released a one-time operation and maintenance grant to gram panchayats within six months of the schemes being launched.

Mr. Raju said the Centre would release its first instalment on the receipt of a project report from the implementing agency concerned and the fulfilment of other norms prescribed under the scheme. In this regard, the zilla panchayat had been asked to prepare project reports for all gram panchayats covered.

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