Saturday, May 31, 2003
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Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram
By Our Special Correspondent
Addressing a `Meet-the-Minister' programme, organised jointly by the Thiruvananthapuram Press Club and the State Public Relations Department here today, Mr Jacob said the hike in tariff was being considered as part of the attempt to find additional resources for the KWA. He said that the Government proposed to start work on 1,220 medium and large drinking water projects worth Rs. 1,200 crores during the current year. The tendering process was on and the projects, which would avail various funding schemes, would be completed in three years' time. He said that the State had proposed 600 schemes under the Swajaldhara scheme and of this the Centre had cleared 128. Work on the JBIC-aided drinking water project covering five areas in the State would begin in June. The selection of consultants would be completed soon and this would be done in a transparent manner in view of the earlier controversies. He said that the State Government would launch the participatory irrigation management system by ensuring the involvement of farmers. Bi-monthly billing system would be introduced in all the five city corporations and a final decision on this would be taken at the high-level meeting on June 5. The `Varsha' project, aimed at rainwater harvesting would be implemented in the State. The first model project would be launched in the Secretariat and other Government buildings, he added. He said that the Government was planning to establish a National Waterways Directorate to implement the development of the waterways. The Pampa Action Plan would be launched in June, he said. The Centre had sanctioned Rs. 18 crores for the preliminary studies and the State Government would have to bear 30 per cent of its cost. The current scheme sanctioned by the Centre was intended to implement sanitation facilities to tackle the problem of pollution in the Pampa-Sannidhanam area and this would not be sufficient to address the environmental threat the Pampa was facing. The other projects that had been given administrative sanction relate to five check dams over the Gayatripuzha in Palakkad district at a cost of Rs. 75 lakhs and drinking water project for Alapuzha town at a cost of Rs. 70 crores with Hudco loan. Mr. Jacob said that the State Government had earmarked additional funds for Pazhassi and Kallada projects even though these were official declared as commissioned. With regard to the JBIC-aided project, Mr. Jacob said that land acquisition was over and basic structure of the project was almost clear. The State Government had given a guarantee to the Centre that it would commission the much delayed project within three years. Care was being taken while processing the selection of consultants, Mr. Jacob said and added that he did have anything to do with the selection process and the final approval would be given by the State Cabinet. In reply to a question, he said that the Cabinet had deferred the KWA redeployment scheme in the light of some practical difficulties. As a matter of policy, there was no move to restructure the KWA. The main aim was to increase its revenues through improved collections and cutting expenditure.
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