Minister for Municipal Administration K.N. Nehru on Sunday said the Tamil Nadu government had approached the Centre to reduce the share of States from 50% to 25% for implementing Jal Jeevan Mission scheme.
Speaking to reporters after flagging off road-sweeping machines and battery-operated vehicles for garbage collection in Tiruchi city, he said the State had lined up a number of schemes promised to voters in the election manifesto. The financial mismanagement of the previous AIADMK government had weakened the financial position of the State. The current financial condition of the State would not allow it to contribute 50% for implementing Jal Jeevan Mission schemes. Most of the States were also in the same financial situation. Hence, the Centre should contribute 75% of the project cost.
As far as Tamil Nadu was concerned, it was one of the most urbanised States. The Tamil Nadu Water and Drainage Board (TWAD) had been meeting the water requirement of about 4.5 crore people in the State. He had taken up the demand to increase the share of the Centre from 50% to 75% for implementing drinking water schemes in urban areas.
Mr. Nehru said the road-sweeping machines would be highly beneficial to tidy up the roads. Each vehicle had the capacity to clean 16,000 square metre per hour. On a four-metre wide road it could clean four km per hour and on an eight-metre wide road, it could clean two km per hour. It would improve the cleanliness of the city. Moreover, it would play a key role in removing sand accumulated on roads.
Collector S. Sivarasu, Corporation Commissioner P.M.N. Mujibur Rahuman and senior officials participated.
