Water supply entrusted to Panchayat Raj Department

To facilitate faster implementation of drinking water projects in drought-hit region, the Centre has decided to release funds directly to Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department instead of the Revenue Department.

According to a recent letter written by Revenue Secretary (Disaster Management) Tushar Girinath to deputy commissioners of all the districts, no new drinking water work can be taken up by the Revenue Department. The grant provided under PD Account can be used for supplying drinking water through tankers and for the management of Goshalas.

According to the letter, a team of state level officers of Revenue Department visited Bidar, Gulbarga, Yadgir, Raichur, Belgaum, Dharwar, Gadag, Haveri, Chamarajnagar, Mandya and Ramanagaram districts to physically ascertain on the action taken by the district administrations to tackle drought relief works in these region.

Based on the report submitted by them the government has released input subsidy to the districts under SDRF funds, Girinath said.

He also instructed officials to get the work completion certificate from the Panchayat Raj Engineering Department for the completed works and then release the remaining grant to them.

Girinath said, in the letter, that the Panchayat Raj Engineering Department of ZPs were over burdened with works and could take up drinking water works in association with other departments like PWD.