Patna: Public health and engineering department minister Neeraj Kumar Singh Babloo said here on Friday that the govt will be able to provide safe drinking water to all 45,000 villages in the state through its piped water scheme by the end of next year.
“It is an ambitious scheme of CM Nitish Kumar and has been replicated across the country in the last few years,” he said.
Also, to further strengthen and maintain the piped water supply system under Har Ghar Nal Ka Jal scheme, 4,135 technical and non-technical persons would be appointed.
While talking to reporters here, Babloo said that the requisition for the appointment of 113 assistant engineers (civil) and five assistant engineers (mechanical) would be sent to Bihar Public Service Commission, while 2,078 other personnel would be selected by Bihar Staff Selection Commission and 1,118 others would be selected by Bihar Technical Service Commission. The appointment of 821 others — 328 pump operators and 493 work inspectors — as sanctioned by the state cabinet on December 3, will also be made.
The minister said that over 1.23 lakh piped drinking supply systems have been installed by the PHED and Panchayati Raj department in the villages, covering 1.74 lakh households.
“Of the left-out villages and small habitations called tolas, 10,719 had to be provided safe piped drinking water by PHED and 16,124 by the panchayati raj department. We have work plan worth Rs 4,706.17 crore to cover 10,719 villages for which tenders have already been floated,” Babloo said.
He added as per the amended policy, the left-out villages under the Panchayati Raj department will also be provided safe piped drinking water by the PHED. “The department has worked out an integrated plan and mechanism to ensure that the piped water supply system becomes functional without any technical glitches pertaining to boring and also the water-pumping devices.
Of the over 1.23 lakh installed piped water supply systems, 40% are being operated by women.
Secretary Pankaj Kumar said that the physical verification of all the 1.23 lakh installed piped water supply systems has been done and glitches rectified. Pump operators will be available for every piped water supply system.
Further, ‘zero office day’ policy has been introduced, when district-level officials and others concerned will be on field every Saturday for “continuous watch” to ensure that the system remains functional to make six-hour supply of safe drinking water – three hours in morning, one hour from noon and two hours in evening.
Kumar added that officials would monitor the functionality of the water pumps and allied systems through Payjal app, available on Google Play.
“It is an integrated app. Not only officials would respond swiftly to any complaint registered by the pump operator at the village and ward level, the villagers too can register their complaints on the app, which is also linked with the state headquarters,” Kumar said.
Patna: Public health and engineering department minister Neeraj Kumar Singh Babloo said here on Friday that the govt will be able to provide safe drinking water to all 45,000 villages in the state through its piped water scheme by the end of next year.
“It is an ambitious scheme of CM Nitish Kumar and has been replicated across the country in the last few years,” he said.
Also, to further strengthen and maintain the piped water supply system under Har Ghar Nal Ka Jal scheme, 4,135 technical and non-technical persons would be appointed.
While talking to reporters here, Babloo said that the requisition for the appointment of 113 assistant engineers (civil) and five assistant engineers (mechanical) would be sent to Bihar Public Service Commission, while 2,078 other personnel would be selected by Bihar Staff Selection Commission and 1,118 others would be selected by Bihar Technical Service Commission. The appointment of 821 others — 328 pump operators and 493 work inspectors — as sanctioned by the state cabinet on December 3, will also be made.
The minister said that over 1.23 lakh piped drinking supply systems have been installed by the PHED and Panchayati Raj department in the villages, covering 1.74 lakh households.
“Of the left-out villages and small habitations called tolas, 10,719 had to be provided safe piped drinking water by PHED and 16,124 by the panchayati raj department. We have work plan worth Rs 4,706.17 crore to cover 10,719 villages for which tenders have already been floated,” Babloo said.
He added as per the amended policy, the left-out villages under the Panchayati Raj department will also be provided safe piped drinking water by the PHED. “The department has worked out an integrated plan and mechanism to ensure that the piped water supply system becomes functional without any technical glitches pertaining to boring and also the water-pumping devices.
Of the over 1.23 lakh installed piped water supply systems, 40% are being operated by women.
Secretary Pankaj Kumar said that the physical verification of all the 1.23 lakh installed piped water supply systems has been done and glitches rectified. Pump operators will be available for every piped water supply system.
Further, ‘zero office day’ policy has been introduced, when district-level officials and others concerned will be on field every Saturday for “continuous watch” to ensure that the system remains functional to make six-hour supply of safe drinking water – three hours in morning, one hour from noon and two hours in evening.
Kumar added that officials would monitor the functionality of the water pumps and allied systems through Payjal app, available on Google Play.
“It is an integrated app. Not only officials would respond swiftly to any complaint registered by the pump operator at the village and ward level, the villagers too can register their complaints on the app, which is also linked with the state headquarters,” Kumar said.