National recognition due to good leadership and earnest efforts, says RMDD Minister on return with PRI awards

GANGTOK, 29 April: The five prestigious awards bagged by the State recently were possible due to good leadership and power decentralization at the grassroots level facilitated by the present government said RMDD Minister, CB Karki at a press conference held on Saturday at Janta Bhawan after his return from the awards ceremony at New Delhi.
The Minister was accompanied by RMDD Secretary, AK Ganeriwala at the press conference.  Mr Karki mentioned that a central team visited and inspected the different Panchayat units and selected these GPUs for the award. The cash awards received will be used for further strengthening of the Panchayati Raj in the State, said the Minister.
Mr Karki added that the Chief Minister had started work on power decentralization at the grassroots level since the second tenure of the present government.
He informed that after returning from New Delhi he had called on the CM on Friday. The CM has urged the political and non-political organizations, governmental and non-governmental organizations and the general public to contribute towards the State, the Minister informed.
RMDD has been working tirelessly to ensure qualitative and time-bound works under the CMRHM and Reconstruction of Earthquake Damaged Rural Houses [REDRH], Mr Karki stated further adding that the department is maintaining all transparency in these works. The department is undertaking construction based on the improved design which costs Rs 4.89 lakh per house in both these schemes.
He informed that the RMDD has received Rs 391 crore for the REDRH, in which around Rs 2 crore will be used for IEC and trainings and rest Rs 389 crore will be used to build 7972 houses of Rs 4.89 lakh each. It is highlighted that all these houses will be earthquake resistant.
Responding to media queries on the lack of sanitation facilities as per Census 2011 despite the State receiving the first Nirmal Rajya Puraskar in 2008, the Minister said that almost all houses in the state have proper sanitation facilities and it is perhaps the temporary labourer camps in the State which might have also been covered by the Census. He informed that the District Collectors have instructed private companies in their districts to have proper sanitation facilities in the labourer camps.
Similarly, on untreated drinking water in Census 2011, the RMDD Secretary mentioned that in rural areas the drinking water supply sources are from natural springs, which are suitable for drinking without treatment. He informed that however the government already provides filter and electronic chlorinator to the people and has even set up laboratories for water quality testing in all four districts. It was informed that field testing kits would be provided to all GPUs and if any impurities are found in the water then the sample would be brought to the laboratory.