By PTI
KOHIMA: Nagaland Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Minister N Jacob Zhimomi on Friday said the state would provide Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) to all households in the rural areas by March 2023 through Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
In a meeting with PHED officials, the minister lamented the slow progress of the work, which is barely 14.39 per cent of the targeted household.
He told the officials to make an “exponential jump” in providing FHTCs to the targeted households as this is a target scheme of the Central government.
He said that the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti has assured that there is no fund constraint and therefore there should not be any reason to slow down the progress of works.
The minister encouraged the officers to set daily targets for the next 18 months, as the government of India has come up with the scheme to ease the burden of rural inhabitants, especially the womenfolk who are the main water fetchers in the family.
“Tighten your belts and rejuvenate yourself to fulfil the target,” he said, while also announcing awards and incentives for the best performing district.
“This is a mission mode project and therefore all have to be sincere and become a performing department of the scheme provided by the Centre,” the minister said.
Meanwhile, the PHED Chief Engineer Repagyangba Longkumer said of the total targeted 3,85,699 households in the state a total of 93,121 households were provided with FHTC till date.
He said this during the mid-year review meeting on JJM implementation in the state held on Friday in presence of PHED Minister N Jacob Zhimomi.
The chief engineer informed that the department is targeting to cover 2,06,363 households with FHTCs within this fiscal 2021-22 while remaining 1,15,915 households would be completed by March 2122-23.
On the status of tap connections in schools, he said that of the targeted 2,271 schools, connections have been provided to 2,220 which is 97.75 per cent.
However, tap connections in Anganwadis are less as of the 3,980 Anganwadi centres, connection is provided to 1,474 of them at 37.03 per cent.
Longkumer said that 2,506 uncovered Anganwadi centres would be completed by December this year.
On the status of tap connections to ashrams and other public institutions, he said of the 1,298 gram panchayats or village council halls in the state, 229 have tap connections while 1,069 would be completed by February 2022.
Of the 760 health centres, he said 676 including 34 Community Health Centres would be connected by November, 143 Primary Health Centre by December 2021 and 499 would get the tap connections by February 2022.
