The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party members in the Legislative Council on Monday alleged gross irregularities in the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj’s (RDPR) ambitious project of supplying purified drinking water to people in rural areas.
More than half of the 14,305 purification plants in rural areas installed since 2011 have become dysfunctional creating water scarcity in villages. This is owing to lack of maintenance of the plants and negligence of officials, alleged BJP member Kavatagimath Mahantesh.
Raising the issue, he along with Opposition leader Kota Srinivas Poojary demanded that a Cabinet sub-committee be set up to conduct a survey of the plants in the State and recommend measures to solve the problem.
RDPR Minister Krishna Byre Gowda admitted that several units had become defunct. “Although I was told that only 1,112 plants of the total 14,305 installed have become defunct, I have now learnt that 2,498 are not working,” he said.
The Minister said he has now directed the officials to repair the plants and ensure they start functioning by July 15.
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