Raipur not to face drinking water crisis till 2040: Netam

Says students to get study loan at 4% interest

House passes Rs 2208.70 crore-budgetary demands for Water Resources, Ayacut, Higher Education, Technical Education and Manpower Planning departments through voice vote

Raipur, March 23, 2012 

The capital city will not face drinking water crisis till 2040 as the government has approved two anicuts on river Mahanadi for it. The information was imparted by Water Resources, Higher Education, Technical Education and Manpower Planning Minister Ramvichar Netam during provision of budgetary demands for his departments on Friday. The House passed budgetary demands of Rs 2208.70crore for these departments through voice vote.

Netam informed the House that the two anicuts on Mahanadi would be constructed on Tila and Ravar. “There is a provision of Rs 10 crore each for the two anicuts in the budget 2012-13,” he added.

He further informed the House that the government had also decided to provide study loans to the students at 4% percent rate of interest (ROI). “The loan would be provided to the students under Mukhyamantri Uchh Shiksha Byaj Anudan Yojna. Under this scheme, the remaining ROI charged by the particular banks will be incurred by the government,” he said.

He also informed the House that the irrigation crop area of the state had increased by five lakh hectare sine 2003. “To enhance the crop area, the government has also prepared a master plan for rivers,” he said.

He admitted that there were scarce teaching staffers in the many government colleges, especially in remote areas and ensured the House that soon all the vacant posts would be filled through PSC exams.

He said the allegation of opposition regarding sale of river water was not true as the government would sell only excess water to the industrialists. “The excess water usually flows to the sea and we will make use of it and generate over Rs 1000 crore in the form of taxes through selling it,” he said.

He said the government would attempt to launch maximum schemes in the scheduled areas and fund would not be constraint for it.

He said the state was going in right direction in terms of higher education as six government colleges and one grant-receiving college had been selected by the University Grant Commission (UGC) as excellent colleges.

In about one and a half hour of his address, Netam gave sops to almost all the members of the House by accepting their demands.