Raipur :Deputy Chief Minister and Public Health Engineering Minister Shri Arun Sao participated in the Ministers' Level Policy Dialogue on Sustainable O&M of Rural Drinking Water Services, organized by the Government of India under the Jal Jeevan Mission to ensure effective operation and maintenance (O&M) of rural drinking water services. Held in New Delhi, this policy dialogue was chaired by Union Jal Shakti Minister Shri C.R. Patil and Union Panchayati Raj Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh. The meeting was attended by Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Shri V. Somanna, Secretaries and Additional Secretaries to the Government of India, and Ministers of Public Health Engineering, Rural Development, and Panchayati Raj from various states. This dialogue program included in-depth discussions between the Government of India and various states on ensuring sustainable, robust, and effective rural water supply systems.

Discussion between the Central Government and the States on the operation and maintenance of drinking water schemes transferred to the Panchayats.

Deputy Chief Minister Shri Arun Saw, in the Niti Samvad, gave detailed information about the works being carried out under the Jal Jeevan Mission in Chhattisgarh, the challenges being faced at the ground level and the achievements of the state. He said that after transferring the drinking water schemes constructed under the Mission to the Panchayats, it is very important to ensure their effective operation and maintenance, so that continuous, safe and quality water supply is maintained in rural areas. Shri Saw described the role of Panchayats, local participation and technical cooperation as the basis for the sustainability of the water supply system.

The meeting also discussed in-depth practical experiences and suggestions received from various states of the country, so that necessary steps could be taken to make the water supply system at the grassroots level more robust, sustainable, and beneficial to the public. On behalf of the state, Mission Director of Jal Jeevan Mission, Mr. Jitendra Shukla, Chief Engineer of Public Health Engineering Department, Mr. Onkesh Chandravanshi, Superintending Engineer, Mr. A.K. Malve, and Executive Engineer, Mr. Sanjay Rathore also participated in the meeting.