Several banks and financial institutions have already agreed to lend Rs.22,000 crore for the implementation of Mission Bhageeratha project aimed at providing piped drinking water to every household in the State, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has stated.
Another Rs.8,000 crore funding is also in the process of finalisation, the Chief Minister said at a review meeting held on the progress of Mission Bhageeratha works here on Monday.
After enquiring about the construction of intake wells, raw water treatment plants, laying of trunk and sub-trunk pipelines, construction of ground-level balancing reservoirs and setting up electrical sub-stations, the Chief Minister expressed satisfaction over the progress.
Incentive
The Chief Minister agreed to pay an incentive of 1.5 per cent to the contractors who would complete the intra-village works in time and directed the authorities to clear the bills for completed works after following due procedures since there is no shortage of funds for the project. The government is ready to provide budgetary support for the project if more funds are required in completing the project by December-end 2017.
He told the officials to be engaged with work agencies so that pace of works is not slowed down. He suggested the project authorities to lay the fibre optical cable along with the drinking water pipelines by taking technical assistance from the Information Technology Department.
More powers to EEs
Mr. Rao announced that the Executive Engineers of the project would be empowered to take decisions pertaining to laying high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or poly vinyl chloride (PVC) pipes with habitations with lesser population. However, the pipeline network should be in a position to provide water round the clock and 365 days a year in future, he noted.
The Chief Minister further suggested that the Rural Water Supply Department should be reorganised keeping in view the increasing work load and Mission Bhageeratha be merged with it with proper work division.
Vice-Chairman of the project V. Prashanth Reddy, Special Chief Secretary S.P. Singh, Engineer-in-Chief B. Surender Reddy, legislators Jalagam Venkata Rao and Palla Rajeshwar Reddy and others attended.
Another Rs.8,000 crore funding is also in the process of finalisation, says the Chief Minister
