BHUBANESWAR: Odisha will receive a tied grant worth 5,280 crore from the Centre in five years from 2021-22 to 2025-26 for drinking water supply and sanitation in rural areas. As per the recommendation of the 15th Finance Commission, the State will get a grant of `1,002 crore in the current fiscal, `1,036 crore in 2022-23, `1,048 in 2023-24, `1,110 crore in 2024-25 and `1,084 crore in 2025-26. The funds allocated to the rural local bodies (RLBs) and panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) will be utilised for supply of drinking water, rainwater harvesting and water recycling and sanitation and maintenance of open-defecation free (ODF) status.
The department of Drinking Water and Sanitation in the Ministry of Jal Shakti has circulated a manual to all the states for utilisation of these funds. The State has been advised to launch a massive drive in local language to sensitise, train and empower panchayat functionaries on utilising the funds to ensure tap water supply and improved sanitation in villages. The State government has also been asked to put a robust ‘operation and maintenance’ policy in place to recover service charges from households in line with recommendations of the successive Finance Commissions to meet recurring expenditure on rural water supply and sanitation services in villages for long-term and assured service delivery.
The main objective of the 15th Finance Commission tied grant for water and sanitation is to enable gram panchayats to shoulder the responsibility for potable water supply to every household, schools, anganwadi centres, PHCs, CHCs, community centres, marketplaces and playgrounds on long-term and regular basis; greywater management, solid waste management, maintenance of open-defecation free status and improved sanitation in villages. The Centre had recently allocated `3,323.42 crore to the State under Jal Jeevan Mission for 2021-22 for tap water supply to every rural house by March 2024.