New Delhi/Srinagar, June 08 (Scoop News) – Stressing for giving a special dispensation to the state under Integrated Water Management Programme (IWMP), the Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Law, Justice and Parliament Affairs, Ali Mohammad Sagar has said that the same is essential for its proper implementation keeping in view the topography and varied weather conditions of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Minister was speaking at the National Conference of the Ministries of the Nodal Departments for IWMP at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.
Union Minister for Rural Development Jai Ram Ramesh, Rural Development Ministers of different states of the country were also present.
Sagar while stressing for the need of capacity building and institutional development said that it will help for the greater sustained livelihood of the rural areas. He said that funds earmarked by the Union Government should be utilized judiciously ensuring the proper implementation of the scheme besides requesting the Centre to be more benevolent while extending the requisite funds.
The Minister said that under IWMP an amount of Rs 2300 crore has been approved to the state for treatment of 15.33 lakh hectares of land covering 998 Micro water sheds. He said that 41 projects have already been sanctioned amounting Rs.269 crores for 130 Micro water sheds covering an area of 1.79 lakh hectares and DPRs of more projects would be prepared soon.
Referring to the flagship programmes of Udaan and Himayat, the Minister expressed hope that the larger number of youth would avail the benefits under these schemes and maintained that it is the endeavour of the government to ensure the proper and sustained implementation of these. “We also request the Central Government to be more generous to the state as it has passed through troubled times and expects more generosity of the union to give special packages”, he maintained.
The minister also thanked the Union Ministry for increasing the quantum of assistance under Individual Household latrines (IHL) from Rs 3500to 10,000 and expressed hope that it would go a long way in ensuring better sanitation of the rural areas.
While intervening, the Union Minister assured that the special dispensation would be provided to the state under Himayat and Udaan for the greater benefit of the people of the state and their request for extending more benefits to the under developed and degraded areas under IWMP would also be looked into.