Budget Session: Drinking water department’s demand of grants for Rs 4,372 crores passed

Ranchi: During the ongoing budget session of the Jharkhand Assembly demand for grants worth Rs 4372 crore for the financial year 2023-24 of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation was passed. 

Responding to the discussion on this Minister Mithilesh Thakur said that Jharkhand’s water resources are weak as compared to other states. He said that there are only 6-7 rivers in the state in which water remains throughout the year.

He said that Jharkhand is basically dependent on groundwater only but even after this continuous efforts are being made by the government that water reaches every house through the tap. He said that before 2019, only four percent of the houses had access to tap water but today this figure is more than 32 percent.

He said that till now the government has supplied tap water to 19 lakh 46 thousand houses and the target is to provide tap water to 61.18 lakh houses which the government will complete by 2024 he said adding that there is a provision for third-party investigation of all drinking water schemes.

On completion, the investigation is done by the agency. All the schemes that have been completed in them the responsibility of maintenance has been given to the concerned agency. Earlier, bringing a cut motion on the demand for grants, BJP MLA Amar Kumar Bauri said that the government is not standing on the promise with which it came to power.

He said that the government is not worried about how to take Jharkhand forward. He said that the demand for which Hemant Soren ousted Arjun Munda’s government has not been realised till date. Bauri said that this government, which came to power on the pretext of bringing the Khatian of 1932 Khatian is missing.

This government which came to power by showing dreams to the youth is today playing with the feelings of the youth. Many other MLAs including JP Patel, Mangal Kalindi, Pradeep Yadav, Bhushan Bada, Binod Singh, and Saryu Rai took part in the discussion. Later following the reply of the minister the demand for grants was passed by a voice vote by the house after which Speaker Ravindranath Mahto adjourned the house till 11 AM on Friday.