New Delhi, Feb 10 (PTI) A parliamentary standing committee has expressed apprehension over achievement of the target of functional tap water connections to all rural households by 2024, considering the pace of implementation.
The standing committee report on water resources was tabled in Parliament on Friday.
The Committee has noted that the under-utilization of funds clearly indicated lack of financial prudence and fiscal discipline.
The Committee said it is “apprehensive about the achievement of the desired target of FHTC in all rural households by 2024”.
“Further, considering the dismal performance pertaining to the fund utilization, the Committee had urged the Department (of Drinking Water and Sanitation) to initiate suitable corrective measures during the current financial year to achieve a better performance under the scheme and apprise the Committee of the action taken in this regard,” it said.
The Committee observed that the Department in the Action Taken Reply has merely mentioned about the bottlenecks being faced by the states while no details of corrective measures or outcome of the visits/meetings have been provided.
The Committee said it is of the view that merely enumerating the bottleneck will not go a long way in achieving the set target, rather a comprehensive review of the Scheme needs to be undertaken by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation keeping in view the bottlenecks identified by the states/UTs and also by further identifying the practical considerations/difficulties being faced in implementation of the Scheme and modifying the guidelines accordingly.
The Department of the Drinking Water and Sanitation told the panel that out of 19.14 crore rural households across the country, 9.63 crore (50.30 per cent) households are reported to have potable water supply in their homes.
The Committee had noted that the under-utilization of funds clearly indicate lack of financial prudence and fiscal discipline.
Further, considering the dismal performance pertaining to the fund utilization, the Committee had urged the Department to initiate suitable corrective measures during the current financial year to achieve a better performance under the scheme and apprise the Committee of the action taken in this regard.
The Committee has also strongly recommended the Department to consider the feasibility of enhancing the per unit financial assistance for construction of toilets under Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) [SBM(G)].
The Committee took note of the “casual nature” of the Department’s approach reflected in the Action Taken Replies that the States can provide higher State share funds by providing additional funds and that the beneficiaries should be encouraged to add their own share.
In view of the critical importance of Individual Household Latrine under SBM(G), the Committee strongly recommended that Department should re-examine the issue and consider enhancing central share amount in the total incentive amount for construction of IHHL across the States/UTs so that it acts as a model for the States/UTs to follow.
“The Committee, therefore, reiterates the Department to consider the feasibility of enhancing the per unit assistance for toilets from the existing rates of Rs 12,000 to Rs 20,000 for Below Poverty Line and identified Above Poverty Line households in rural area,” it said. PTI UZM ZMN
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