*Geo-tagging of assets made mandatory from current year
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 26: Putting Jammu and Kashmir in peculiar situation, the Union Government has declined to increase allocation of funds under National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) for the current financial year and directed the State to increase its own contribution so as to ensure completion of already taken up schemes. Moreover, the State has been explicitly told that from now onwards release of funds would depend on geo-tagging of assets.
In a communiqué addressed to Commissioner/Secretary, Public Health Engineering Department, A K Shrivastava, Under Secretary to the Government, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has explicitly mentioned that for the financial year 2017-2018 the State of Jammu and Kashmir would be allocated approximately the same quantum of funds under NRDWP as made during 2016-17.
“Since the allocation of funds for the State would remain more or less like previous year, the State should plan the shelf of project accordingly”, the Union Under Secretary said, adding “the State will be allocated Rs 222.26 crore under NRDWP during 2017-18 as per the existing guidelines”.
Stating that State should plan targets under NRDWP keeping in view the availability of nearly Rs 275 crore considering approximately Rs 45 crore from the State Budget, the Union Ministry said, “higher contribution of State share would be appreciated to maintain more flow of funds to this sector”, adding “the opening balance under NRDWP should be kept within the permissible limits in order to avail funds during current financial year”.
Mentioning that amount of allocation will be scheme/project based, the Union Ministry has made it clear that there will be no investment in new projects. “The amount will be reserved for ongoing schemes with priority in the order of 100%, 75-100%, 50-75% and 25-50% physically completed water supply schemes respectively”, reads the communiqué, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR.
However, there will be exception to take up new projects in verified Open Defecation Free (OFD) villages, Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) villages and arsenic/fluoride affected habitations.
The State has also been informed that geo-tagging of assets is being made mandatory from the current year and directions have been issued for geo-tagging of all possible components of the piped water supply schemes such as—source; water treatment plant; storage tanks; stand posts and major nodes in conveying pipe network etc.
As far as performance of Jammu and Kashmir vis-à-vis targets fixed for the 2016-17 financial year, the Minister has noted with concern that against target of focusing on 375 partially covered habitations, only 122 habitations were covered up to January this year.
It has noted that State had planned to complete 232 schemes, which will cover 375 habitations with 2.21 lakh population. However, up to January this year 46 schemes were completed and 122 habitations with population of 0.74 lakh covered with safe drinking water.
The Union Ministry has also told the State that drinking water facility can be provided to Government schools and Anganwari centres up to the periphery/boundary from existing schemes only. It has advised the State to dovetail funds under MGNREGA/14th Finance Commission grant etc for better Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of Water Supply Schemes. Moreover, the State has been asked to implement suitable water tariff to make the schemes sustainable.
It is pertinent to mention here that fate of 1638 water supply schemes for rural areas of Jammu and Kashmir is hanging in balance because of squeezed funding from the Union Government during the past few years. Till 2014, the State Government was receiving Rs 537 crore per annum under National Rural Drinking Water Programme from the Union Ministry for Drinking Water and Sanitation. However, since 2015 the funding has been reduced drastically to less than Rs 250 crore.
“Now, the State should earmark more funds from current year otherwise it would not be possible to complete all these schemes with the present allocation and huge population of rural areas will remain deprived of drinking water facility”, official sources said.
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