Works on tap connection to rural houses to be completed in 8 months: Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat CEO

Works aimed at providing functional household tap connection (FHTC) to every rural household under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) is expected to be completed within seven to eight months, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat (DKZP) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Anand said on Thursday.

“Implementation of over 700 works under the Jal Jeevan Mission had been planned in three phases,” Dr Anand said, while presiding over the District Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Mission meeting at the Zilla Panchayat Hall.

In the first phase, 458 works had been completed and 25 among 134 works had been completed. A total of 109 works are in progress in the second phase. Of the 108 works, 10 had been completed and 97 works were yet to be completed in the third phase, he said. “With the monsoon ending, works can be expedited. The work on laying pipelines in villages should be done with the co-operation of the gram panchayats,” he said. The CEO said that the expenditure of works which had exceeded the initial cost estimate, will be approved by the district level committee, headed by the DKZP CEO, if the expenditure is less than the ceiling fixed by SLSSC (state level scheme sanctioning committee).

“The expenditure of 28 projects had exceeded initial cost estimate. Among them the expenditure of over five works had exceeded the ceiling fixed by SLSSC and thus, the district level committee had recommended it to the state level committee,” he said and added that he was confident of getting approval from the state level committee within 45 days. The financial approval was given to eight works from the first phase and 15 works in the second phase of the Jal Jeevan Mission in the meeting.

Executive Engineer of the district rural drinking Water and Sanitation Mission Raghunath, department of Agriculture Joint Director Kempe Gowda were also present.