Bhubaneswar: Rural drinking water supply projects have been severely affected due to Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns.
The state was able to spend only 10 per cent of the approved amounts for implementation of drinking water supply projects under various schemes till July end.
According to sources at the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water department, out of Rs 9841.58 crore allotted for execution of drinking water supply projects, the engineering department personnel were able to spend only Rs 976.19 crore till the end of July. It means only 9.92 per cent of the total funds was utilised till July end.
The government has set an ambitious target of executing 1,619 drinking water projects for the current year 2020-21. According to sources, 457 projects – 28.23 per cent – have so far been completed.
Out of 450 drinking water projects worth Rs 2,240 crore sanctioned under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), only 105 projects have been taken up whereas 214 of 400 projects under Basudha scheme have been executed till July end, the sources added.
Only 31 out of 250 drinking water supply projects sanctioned under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) have been executed during the period.
Ironically, no project under State Finance Commission (SFC) grant has been implemented so far. Seven mega water supply projects worth Rs 135 crore are being implemented under this grant, the sources said.
Likewise, only one out of 14 projects approved by Odisha Mineral Bearing Areas Development Corporation (OMBADC) has been completed till July end. Around Rs 2,732 crore has been approved for these projects, of which only Rs 229 crore has been utilised during first four months of this financial year.
The progress in KBK region is nil till July end. Although 22 projects worth Rs 40 crore has been sanctioned for the KBK region, not a single project has been commissioned so far, the sources said.
The government has approved Rs 1319.48 for execution of 476 water supply projects in the state during this year. However, 106 projects have been completed with an expenditure of Rs 158 crore, they said.
The Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water department has asked the engineering staff concern to expedite the work to ensure timely completion of the projects.