Complete irrigation well proj in suicide-prone districts: CS

Maharashtra government has instructed officials to complete irrigation well projects in suicide-prone districts of the state by March end next year and to ensure power supply where the work has already been done.
Chief Secretary Swadheen Kshatriya yesterday took stock of the crop situation, measures to be taken to tackle drought, 'Swachh Maharashtra Mission', 'Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan', registration of Aadhaar and other programmes, via video conferencing with divisional commissioners, collectors, chief executive officers of zilla parishads and municipal commissioners.
"Madhya Pradesh has succeeded in constructing irrigation wells through the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to a large extent. Thus, we have invited the Chief Secretary of MP to tell us about his model of development," Kshatriya said.

He instructed the officials to complete irrigation wells, Jawahar wells under EGS scheme by March next year.
"The state government has decided to construct 4,000 farm ponds each in Osmanabad and Yavatmal districts within the next four years. The administration should concentrate on the completion of targets," he said.
The government has set a target to make 25 tehsils and 5,000 villages in these two districts free of open defecation by March 2016, as a part of the 'Swachh Maharashtra Mission'.

The state has appointed seven probationary officials from Indian Civil Services as nodal officers for the purpose. Kshatriya said each officer should be given responsibility of a village.

The implementation of sanitation work (for construction of toilets, etc) in rural areas under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme will accelerate the mission of making the state free of open defecation, he said.
"Along with clean villages and clean cities, hospitals and clinics should also be clean," he said.