PATNA: Nearly after one-and-a-half months of RJD leader Sudhakar Singh resigning from his ministerial post in view of controversy over his open criticism of the grand alliance government, Bihar Panchayati Raj minister and senior Congress leader Murari Gautam alleged that ‘Nal-Jal Yojana’ (tap water to each household) had failed in the state due to “less educated ward members and officers’ slackness”.
‘Nal-Jal Yojna’ is an ambitious project of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Pointing out the shortcomings in the implementation of ‘Nal-Jal Yojana’ in the state, Gautam said that the situation was not different in the previous government either.
“Ever since I have become a Panchayati Raj minister, I am reviewing the situation. Fund is being allotted separately for the maintenance purpose under the scheme and if the work is not being done, officers are responsible for it,” the minister said.
He said that “less educated” ward members were also not responsible for it as they would not be able to monitor implementation of the schemes under ‘Nal-Jal Yojana’ effectively. Leader of Opposition in Bihar Legislative Council and former Panchayati Raj Minister Samrat Choudhary hits back at Gautam, calling his statement highly unfortunate.
“When we were in the government, we tried to strengthen Panchayati Raj as ward members were given full charge of the Yojana’. Former NDA government had even started releasing funds for the maintenance of the scheme,” he remarked.
He said that as a minister, he had tried to ensure tap water reaching to each household but the present minister (Gautam) was not happy about it and instead was ‘insulting’ 1.14 lakh people’s representatives of Panchayati Raj. Earlier, Bihar BJP president had held CM Nitish Kumar responsible for irregularities in ‘Nal-Jal Yojana’.
Meanwhile, JD (U) parliamentary board chairman Upendra Kushwaha who had caused embarrassment to Nitish government by claiming that prohibition was not successful in the state, extended support to Gautam.