Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 6: Minister for PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control, Sham Lal Sharma today inaugurated a Water Supply Scheme (WSS) at village Nai Basti Palwan and a Panchayat Ghar at village Sungal Lower.
The WSS has been developed at an estimated cost of Rs. 66 lakh and will cater to the drinking water needs of over half a dozen villages. With the installation of this scheme a long pending demand of the locals has been met.
The Panchayat Ghar has been constructed at an estimated cost of Rs. 20 lakh under MGNREGA and 13th Finance Commission. This is the second Apna Model Panchayat Ghar constructed by the Department of Rural Development in the block.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that the Coalition Government has been making concerted efforts to develop sustainable basic infrastructure in the rural areas at par with the urban areas under a well-knit programme. During the past over four years, the Government has focused on the upgradation of vital sectors like, PHE, education, health, social welfare and roads which are key to transform the socio-economic conditions of the people, said Mr. Sham.
To overcome the scarcity of drinking water in the kandi belt of Akhnoor, the Minister said that deep drilling tube-wells will be dug after proper identification of deserving areas, adding that focus will also be laid on reviving the traditional sources of water like ponds, bowlies and check dams for other uses to save drinking water.
He said Government will also explore possibilities of constructing irrigational tube-wells in the potential areas to give boost to the agriculture production in the Akhnoor tehsil. He said a survey in this regard is underway and a detailed project will be forwarded to the Central Government for funding. Mr. Sham appealed the people to make judicious use of water.
Chief Engineer, PHE, Ashwani Sharma, Superintending Engineer (Hydraulic), Sushil Aima, Executive Engineer, PHE, Akhnoor, Ashok Sharma, SDM, Akhnoor, Naginder Singh Jamwal, ACD, Rural Development Department, K.K.Sidha, Congress Block President, Ram Saran Bhagat, Congress Working President, Akhnoor, Baldev Sharma, Sarpanchs/Panchs and prominent people from different parts of Akhnoor block were present on the occasion.
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