Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today reiterated that if Panchayat Raj department was strengthened at all levels, Rural India would be progressed towards development. He said his government was implementing Mission Bhagiratha Scheme in a prestigious manner and will supply drinking water to the villages on time and according to the schedule. Under the program, people will be protected from 70 water-borne diseases, the CM said. Along with the Mission Bhagiratha water pipelines, Internet cables are also laid to provide Internet to each and every household, he added.
The Chief Minister has discussed several issues pertaining to the drinking water supply with Government of India, Drinking Water Supply and Swach Bharath Mission Secretary Parameswaran Iyer, who met him at Pragathi Bhavan here on Thursday. Parameswaran Iyer has expressed happiness that Mission Bhagiratha Drinking Water Scheme is one of its kind in the country, which was going to supply drinking water to the households and it will become a role model in the Country. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after inaugurating Mission Bhagiratha in Gajwel, had told them that this program is one of the best in the country.
Iyer said he came to study the drinking water and Swach Bharath program being implemented in the country and he had interacted with the district Collectors on the same. Parameswaran said if the Mission Bhagiratha works are completed with the same missionary zeal, the scheme will become one of the best in the country and a model for others to emulate. In this context, he said the Centre would release funds for the fluoride-affected areas in the State. Since under Mission Bhagiratha 1041 fluoride affected villages are given a clean drinking water, the Centre will release Rs 800 crore shortly. After the completion of works under Mission Bhagiratha, the Centre would also grant funds as incentives. Comparing to other countries, Iyer said even countries like China, Canada and Vietnam were not able to complete their drinking water supply schemes on schedule as was being done with Mission Bhagiratha.
Panchayat Raj Minister Jupally Krishna Rao, Power Minister G Jagadeeshwar Reddy, Mission Bhagiratha Vice Chairman Vemula Prashanth Reddy, Principal Advisor Rajiv Sharma, Chief Secretary SP Singh, Finance Secretary Rama krishna Rao, CMO Senior officials Shanti Kumari, Smita Sabharwal, Panchayat Raj Commissioner Neetu Prasad, E-in-C Surendra Reddy and others participated. (NSS)