(a) whether the Government propose to revise the criteria laid down under the present drinking water scheme so as to increase per capita supply of drinking water and provide more funds to the States for the purpose;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the time by which it is likely to be revised?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI ANNASAHEB M.K. PATIL)
(a) to (c) The criteria for inter-state allocation of funds to States has recently been revised to give more weightage to Not Covered (NC) and Partially Covered (PC) habitations and to quality affected habitations.
It has also been decided to relax the norms for coverage of rural habitation with drinking water supply facility to provide for 55 ltrs per capita per day with a source within 0.5 km in the plains and 50 metres elevation in the hills after the coverage of all NC/PC rural habitations in that State is achieved, as per the existing norms of 40 litres per capita per day. This relaxation is subject to the condition that beneficiaries of the relaxed norms are willing to share a part of the capital cost (which should not be less than 10%) and shoulder full responsibilities for subsequent Operation and Maintenance.