Bhopal: Hand pumps will be installed at every cremation ground in the state, said public health engineering department minister Kusum Mehdele in her statement on department budget demand in the assembly on Thursday.
Both Congress and BJP MLAs raised the issue of water crisis in their areas and demanded more allocation for installing hand pumps in their respected constituencies.
BJP MLA Subedar Singh Rajodha pointed out that there is no hand pump in 10 villages of his constituency. Another BJP MLA R D Prajapati said Bundelkhand region is facing shortfall of rains for last three years.
“All the wells, ponds, rivers and water bodies have dried up. Cows are dying due to water crisis,” he told the House. Prajapati further said that toilets had become useless due to water crisis. As a result, people go out for defecating.
The MLAs from Bundelkhand region including Pushpendra Nath Pathak, Vikram Singh also raised the issue of deficit rains in the region.
During the course of discussions, Congress MLA Sourabh Singh pointed out that if a hand pump is installed from MLA fund, the PHE claims Rs 3 lakh for it. “But same work can be done for just Rs 10,000 from open market,” he remarked.
The MLAs and ministers pointed out that union government’s contribution has been curtailed. State rural development minister Gopal Bhargava and PHED minister Kusum Mehdele told assembly that they will ask for more funds from union minister Uma Bharti to address water crisis in the state.
The assembly has passed the department budget of Rs 534.73 crore. A sum of Rs 1,395 crore will be provided through central agencies. The state government has planned to provide tap water to 90 percent of rural population till 2022.
