Bihar's Jitan Ram Manjhi government asked to expedite drinking water schemes

PATNA: The Centre today asked the Bihar government to expedite the tardy progress in implementation of the drinking water schemes in the state particularly in villages dominated by SC, ST and minorities population.

This was conveyed by Union Minister of State for Drinking water Ramkripal Yadav to Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi during a meeting here.

The minister showed fact sheet to Manjhi regarding drinking water scheme progress in rural areas during the current fiscal.

Yadav also drew Manjhi's attention towards poor utilisation of central fund by the state government.

He said out of a sum of Rs 436.7 crore in current fiscal, Bihar had been able to spend only Rs 224.69 crore which comes to 51.45 per cent, a release of the Drinking Water and Sanitation ministry said.

The union minister told Manjhi as per report till December 23, 2014, there were 107640 villages in Bihar in which total drinking water coverage had been achieved in 54942 while 46099 achieved partially.

In Schedule Castes dominated hamlets coverage of drinking water is 5.48 per cent, in ST 4.42 per cent and in those mostly inhabited by minorities its 4.93 per cent, the minister told Majhi.

During an hour long meeting with CM, Yadav, who is BJP Lok Sabha member from Patliputra constituency in Patna district, urged him to improve situation of water, electricity and anti-erosion work in different places located near Punpun river in Naubatpur block.