New Delhi, Aug 6 (UNI) Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Thursday called on Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and presented a copy of the report on the measures taken by his ministry to achieve water security.
Mr Shekhawat also briefed the Vice-President on the progress of various initiatives of the Ministry, especially related to piped water supply, an official release here said.
The Minister assured the Vice-President that the Centre was supporting the state Governments to take up functional tap connections in the villages across the length and breadth of the country.
"The Ministry of Jal Shakti is providing 90 per cent funds to Himalayan and north-eastern States and 50 per cent funds to other states to take up rural drinking water supply projects," he told Mr Naidu.
Apart from regular budgetary allocation, the ministry plans to utilise 15th Finance Commission grants to rural bodies for providing drinking water to the rural households, he added.
To a query by the Vice-President about providing piped drinking water to all the households in Udayagiri assembly constituency in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, his home constituency, the Minister assured that the Central Government, in accordance with the policy, will be willing to provide the necessary funds once state Government forwards proposals related to the same.
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