State’s 86.19 percent rural population covered by water supply schemes

Our Bureau

IMPHAL | Aug 1

The Union ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has allocated Ra 32.20 crore to the state for the year 2017-18. However fund will be released to the state after requisite utilisation of funds already available, which is Rs 29.61 crore.

This was stated by minister of state for Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ramesh Chandappa replying to a query raised by Rajya Sabha MP of the state, Ksh. Bhabananda during question hour in the Upper House yesterday.

The Union minister continued that as reported by the state on the online portal of the ministry, there is no water quality issue in the state, and till date 86.19 percent of the rural population of Manipur are covered by water supply schemes. The state has also reported through the portal that there are 3,788 rural habitations in the state, out of which 2,227 habitations are fully partially covered, the minister said.

Ramesh Chandappa also pointed out that rural drinking water supply is a state subject. For improving the coverage of clean drinking water to rural population, the ministry supplements the efforts of the state by providing technical and financial assistance through the centrally sponsored National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP).

However, it is the state government who plans, design, execute and operate schemes for providing clean drinking water, he added.

Replying to another query raised by Ksh. Bhabananda, minister of state for Panchayati Raj, Parshottam Rupala said Manipur has utilised Rs 4.81 crore out of the total amount released, which is Rs 9.82 crore for the year 2016-17, under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) activities including e-enablement.

The minister also informed the House that as per information provided by the government of Manipur, out of the 161 Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the state, 65 GPs have computers. The Panchayat Enterprise Suite (PES) application adopted by the states includes Local Government Directory, Area Profiler, PlanPlus, National Asset Directory, National Panchayat Portal and Service Plus, he said.

The minister also divulged that the ministry is implementing e-Panchayat Mission Mode (MMP) that seeks to transform the functioning of all Panchayati Raj Institions (PRIs), amking them more transparent, accountable and effective as organs of decentralised self-governing institutions.

Further Parshottam Rupala said under e-Panchayat, a suit of core software applications has been developed to address various aspects of Panchayats’ functioning including planning, budgeting, implementation, accounting, monitoring, social audit and delivery of citizen services like issue of certificates, license, tax collection etc.