The state government will soon call tenders for drinking water project works worth 23,000 crore, IT and panchayat raj minister KT Rama Rao has said.
Speaking to newsmen on the one-year progress of his ministrsy here on Wednesday, the minister said the state government had already awarded tenders for construction of 17 intake wells for the project with an estimated cost of 1,787 crore. The government is in touch with Allahabad Bank for getting a loan of 10,000 crore for drinking water project. Nabard and HUDCO have already agreed to fund the project.
“The works on intake wells have started and the officials ensured that the works will not be hampered in the rainy season,” he said.
“We will release the progress of works every year. The public may judge our performance,” Rama Rao said.
Stating that the Water Grid works were taken up in a transparent manner, he said the officials have finalised estimates for the works and they were ratified by the Central government’s WAPCOS.
He said the officials were still in touch with K-Water to partner them in the Water Grid programme.
Rama Rao said the Haritha Haaram programme would be implemented by the rural development department also. Avenue plantations would be taken up along the newly-constructed or repaired rural roads.
Rama Rao said the panchayats collected 67 per cent taxes, which was unprecedented. Of the 8,867 panchayats in the state 2,217 panchayats collected 100 per cent taxes.
Rama Rao said they had identified the need to construct 30 lakh individual toilets. The government has prepared an action plan for repairs and construction of rural roads with an estimated cost of 5,470 crore. The renewal of BT roads would be taken up at a cost of 1,800 crore, new roads at a cost of 2,200 crore and new bridges at a cost of 250 crore, the minister said.
As a follow up of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s announcement that 25,000 jobs would be filled soon, he said they would utilise ‘Mana TV’ and train rural youths to prepare for competitive examinations.