SHILLONG:
Public Health Engineering (PHE) Minister, Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar, on August 16, said that the Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Bishweswar Tudu never expressed his disappointment over the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scheme in Meghalaya and if that was the case, the state would not have bagged a performance award from the Ministry on two occasions.
Informing that under the JJM scheme the state has completed 40 percent and the major chunk is in Garo Hills region, the PHE minister, said, “The state is targeting to complete it by December this year. But with four months and 60 per cent more left to complete, it may sound impossible to many.”
The PHE Minister also informed that in terms of sanctioning the scheme, the state, out of 5, 89, 888 households, almost 5.45 lakh households were targeted and have been sanctioned.
He said that by September, he hopes that the state may reach 100 per cent implementation target in terms of sanctioning of the scheme.
Tongkhar also hoped that by the same month, the state achieves 50 per cent in terms of household tap connection under JJM.
The PHE Minister said that apart from the hilly terrain, the rain has caused problem in implementation of the JJM. “Another problem we are facing is the supply of GI pipes as it is not available. We faced a big problem because all those years, we were depending on Ne Zone for it and now, they could not manage the demand and we are looking for it in the market,” Tongkhar said.
The PHE Minister informed that cost of GI Pipes is included in the scheme but the government is skeptical about ordering those pipes at high rates, since it will affect the contractors.
He said that the rise in prices of steel is also a challenge in implementing the JJM in Meghalaya but now the prices of steel pipes has come down and new rates have arrived. “Now, the government is buying them at a lower rate,” he said.