Centre committed towards development of North Eastern region, says Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

Guwahati (Assam) [India], February 28 (ANI): Union Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Monday said that the Centre is committed towards the development of the North East and its impact is visible in the lives of the people of the region.

While addressing the conference of state Ministers of North Eastern Region on Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) in Guwahati, Shekhawat said, "The state should give emphasis so that the quantity, quality, and sustainability must be maintained while implementing the Jal Jeevan Mission in the region."

The Union Minister appreciated the efforts of North Eastern states for the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in their region.

He further informed that Manipur, Meghalaya, and Sikkim aim to achieve Har Ghar Jal by 2022. The deadline set by Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura, and Nagaland is 2023 while Assam aims to meet the goal by 2024.

"Under Jal Jeevan Mission, the idea is not just to install a tap in every rural household but to ensure the service delivery and long term sustainability and it is the duty of the authorities to continuously monitor and ensure it," Shekhawat said.

He further added, "To achieve the target of Har Ghar Jal in eight north-eastern states in the stipulated time frame, the government has allocated Rs 6,000 crore for the JJM. The JJM will lay the foundation for the all-around development of the region, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Vini Mahajan, Secretary, DWS, Ministry of Jal Shakti of Government of India said that the Ministry is working towards ensuring that every rural household in every village of the country receives a clean tap water supply by the end of 2024.

Since the announcement of the Jal Jeevan Mission on August 15, 2019, significant progress is being made across the country and as of date, more than nine crore rural households are provided with tap water connections.

The regional conference focuses on important issues pertaining to the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen).

Assam Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass, minister of PHED of other North-Eastern states, senior officials from the Central government, and state governments in the region participated in the conference. (ANI)