SHILLONG:
The state government has submitted a proposal to include villages under the New Shillong Township (NST) under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) for providing adequate water supply to them.
Minister in-charge Public Health Engineering (PHE) Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar said, “As the process of preparation of the revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) to scale down the project cost of the New Shillong Township Water Supply Scheme (NSTWSS) is under preparation, we have also sent proposal (to include villages under NST) under JJM.”
Tongkhar said the department has decided not to wait till the preparation of the DPR is completed. “The state government has asked the department to scale down the estimate by 50 per cent.”
He said many villages have got sanctioned under the JJM. “So now we will also see those who have not got sanctioned under the JJM,” he added.
The NSTWSS was accorded administrative approval in March, 2014 under the Special Plan Assistance (SPA) for an estimated cost of Rs. 321.28 crore and Rs. 9 crore was released to the department from SPA and Rs. 11 crore from the state share and the same amount has been utilized on procurement of pipes.
Meanwhile, the minister also informed that the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS) phase-III is targeted to be completed this year. “We really hope the project sees the light of day,” he said.
He said an additional fund of Rs 65 crore has been sanctioned for completion of the project. “The contractors met me and they said it (amount) is okay and they are on the job (to complete the project),” Tongkhar added.