BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday asked officials to utilise at least `3,000 crore per year for infrastructure development to provide drinking water to people in rural areas of the State.The Chief Minister gave the direction while reviewing drinking water supply schemes in urban and rural areas of the State at Secretariat here. He directed the officials to complete all drinking water projects scheduled to be completed in 2017-18 and 2018-19 in time. Official sources said between 2014 and 2018, drinking water provision has been made for 48766 partially covered villages. Work to provide at least two villages in each panchayat with piped water facility has been expedited. So far, two villages each of 5,690 panchayats have been provided piped water facility.
Besides, target to provide drinking water to all families in urban areas will be met by December, 2018. The target to provide daily requirement of 1085 million litre water to the urban areas will also be reached in 2018-19. Official sources said laying of distribution network of 11,325 km will be completed by 2018-19. Chief Secretary AP Padhi and senior officials attended.