Chief Secretary urged to free PHE staff from COVID-19 duty

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Public Health Engineering (PHE) has moved the Chief Secretary with a plea to release the department's employees from the COVID-19 related duties so that it could meet the target of augmenting water tap connections to 40 per cent of the total rural household in Assam by the current financial year (2020-2021) under the Centre's Jal Jeevan Mission. The Jal Jeevan Mission envisions safe and adequate drinking water supply through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India. The PHE department is facing difficulties in executing the scheme as most of its officials and employees are now occupied with COVID duties. The Ministry of Jal Shakti recently expressed its concern over slow implementation of the scheme. As of date, only 3 per cent households in rural Assam have the essential facility of water tap connections.

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