Safe drinking water to every home in 25,000 villages in 4 years
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his son and minister K.T. Rama Rao discuss during a meet on rural water supply at Prof. Jaya Shankar Agricultural University in Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, on Wednesday. (Photo: DECCAN CHRONICLE )
Hyderabad: A massive Telangana Water Grid will be taken up by the state soon to provide safe drinking water to every home at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore. It will cover 25,000 villages and towns. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who discussed the project with rural water supply and sanitation department engineers, asked them to complete the project in four years.
Asking engineers to complete the project survey in a fortnight’s time, the Chief Minister told them he had sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s help and the latter had assured full support, while asking Telangana government to submit proposals for Central assistance/grant.
“We will seek Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 crore in aid, take loans and earmark Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 crore in the budget annually,” he said at the engineers meet held at Prof. Jayashanker Agricultural University near here. IT and panchayat raj minister K.T. Rama Rao was also present.
“We are not competing with Andhra Pradesh. Our competitors are Gujarat, Maharashtra and other developed states,” he added.
The Telangana Water Grid covering over 25,000 villages and towns on the Gujarat model is likely to cost over Rs 20,000 crore. “The grid aims to provide safe tap drinking water to every home. I want it to be completed in three and a-half-years to four years. Should we do it or give it to private parties? the CM asked the engineers.
“We will do it,” the engineers chorused. Not satisfied, the CM asked all those engineers in favour of the government executing the project and not hand it over to private parties, to raise their hands. A majority of engineers raised their hands. “Okay, I am with you. I will provide all support including vehicles, GPS, equipment and fill the vacant 500-odd posts among others,” the CM added.
Mr Rao had sent an official team to Gujarat to study the successful ru-ral water supply scheme there and the latter submitted a report to him. The CM was asked by Mr Narendra Modi to have a glimpse of the scheme and he may visit Gujarat.
The government, he said, had invested Rs 20,000 crore including Rs 6,000 crore in the past seven to eight years, but safe drinking water remained a far cry.
“When I was an MLA, we successfully implemented a drinking water scheme in Siddipet. Our engineers can take up the Telangana grid. It is a challenge,” he said.
Mr Rao said Telangana was on a better position in providing safe drinking water to people compared to many states. “I am 61 years now. I don’t have any more dreams. I have achieved Telangana and now I want to develop it.”
( Source : dc correspondent )
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