(a) whether the Government is implementing two Schemes namely National Rural Drinking Water Programme and Bharat Nirman Programme for availability of safe drinking water;
(b) if so, the salient features relating to Tribal areas and Left Wing Extremist (LWE) Districts of Odisha under the said schemes;
(c) the achievement made during Bharat Nirman Phase-I; and
(d) the action taken to implement the programme in Hilly and Tribal areas of the State?
MINISTER OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION (SHRI JAIRAM RAMESH)
(a): The Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation administers through the States the centrally sponsored scheme, National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) for providing financial and technical assistance to the States to supplement their efforts to provide drinking water facilities to the rural areas. Bharat Nirman is a Plan conceived by the Government of India to be implemented in four years, from 2005-06 to 2008-09 for building rural infrastructure. Considering
the progress achieved in the Phase I of Bharat Nirman, Government of India has decided to continue Bharat Nirman in its Phase II. Bharat Nirman has six components of which rural drinking water supply is one of the components. There is no separate financial allocation for Bharat Nirman programme apart from NRDWP allocation. The targets under Bharat Nirman are the same as those under NRDWP.
(b): Under NRDWP, State Governments are required to prepare Annual Action Plans for rural drinking water supply every year. In these Plans, State Governments are required to give priority for coverage of water supply schemes in the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe concentrated areas and Left Wing Extremist affected Districts including in Odisha. Overall 10% of the NRDWP allocation has been earmarked for Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) at the national level. For the State of Odisha 20.03% viz. Rs.33.52 crore has been released in 2011-12 under TSP for implementation of NRDWP in tribal concentrated habitations.
(c): A statement giving the target and achievement of habitations under NRDWP Bharat Nirman in its Phase I is at Annexure.
(d): The State Governments in the Annual Action Plans plan to implement schemes under NRDWP in areas including hilly and tribal concentrated habitations. They have to mark the targeted habitations and provide details of works, schemes and ctivities in the Integrated Management Information System (IIMIS). Coverage and progress information is also entered in the IMIS. Senior Officers/Area Officers/Technical Officers tour the States to assess the implementation of the Programme. The Ministry also conducts meetings of the Secretaries in charge of rural water supply, regional review meetings, ideo-conferencing, etc. through which implementation of NRDWP including in ST concentrated habitations is monitored.