Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, deputy chief minister K Pawan Kalyan said that the state government is preparing plans to start works under Jal Jeevan Mission. The government proposes to take up Rs 70,000 crore works in the next five years, he said.
The deputy chief minister said that there are several villages in the state where people have no access to safe and protected drinking water. Villages in the Pitapuram Assembly constituency also have no access to the safe drinking water, he said.
Pawan Kalyan said that the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Ministry is preparing a detailed project report (DPR) to provide safe drinking water to every village and every family in the state. The DPR would be ready by January 2025, he said.
He further said that he would take up the issue with the Central government and ensure that funds are released under the Jal Jeevan Mission. He said that he would speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah besides the Jal Sakthi Minister and see that the funds are released.
He blamed the previous YSR Congress government for diverting funds of the Jal Jeevan Mission. He said that the YSR Congress government had diverted over Rs 4,000 crore from the scheme. The government had given only bore well water, he said.
The deputy chief minister said that his government would clean the irrigation tanks in the state and give the water to every family. The Jal Jeevan Mission is to clean the water bodies and give protected drinking water to the people, he said.
He said that the Central government is spending over Rs 1 lakh crore for the scheme across the country. However, there are several villages where people have no access to drinking water, he said.
