Training and Capacity Building of PHE Engineers Concludes

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Sept 13: A two-day long training programme and capacity building of assistant executive engineers of Public Health Engineering Department organized by Water and Sanitation Support Organization (WSSO) concluded at the Assam Administrative Staff College, Khanapara here on Thursday with more than hundred participants from all the districts of the State.

Attending the valedictory session minister PHED, Rihon Daimary, in his conclusive remark encouraged the participants with his speech and focused more on community participation and self development. He encouraged the engineers to take up new initiatives in the field of Water and Sanitation with the help and support of new technologies.

Emphasizing on initiation of research activities by field engineers Daimary praised the initiative taken by WSSO for building the capacity of the duty bearers.

The second day session started with Ramendra Sundar Choudhury, Executive Engineer, PHED who elaborated the design and implementation of construction of water reservoirs and Treatment Plants. Roshanara Begum, IAS, Secretary public enterprise gave a brief overview of the Right to Information Act 2005 and elaborated the roles and responsibilities of the government officials as mandated by the act. Sweta Patnaik, WASH Specialist, UNICEF, Assam discussed about the Sustainable Development Goals pertaining to Water and Sanitation and the implementing challenges associated with. The training covered various relevant topics like administrative protocol & disciplinary proceedings, financial threshold in regard to present DFP, maintaining Integrated Monitoring Information System (IMIS), Execution & quality control, monitoring water supply in the context of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), Swacha Bharat Mission and topic like water for sanitation.

The Two Days programme was inaugurated on 12th September at 11:00 AM by Kumar Sanjay Krishna, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, PHED, Assam along with Dr. Siddharth Singh, IAS, Secretary, PHED, Assam; Biren Bhattacharyya, Secretary, PHED, Assam; Er. Saumya Baruah, Chief Engineer, PHED; and Gautom Paul, Director, WSSO, PHED, Assam. Mentioning the present scenario of Water and Sanitation in the World Kumar Sanjay Krishna, IAS, stated that the per capita water consumption in India is decreasing due to the growing demand for water. In his inaugural speech Biren Bhattacharyya, Secretary, PHED discussed about the importance of capacity building of the duty bearers in today’s challenging and dynamic environment. Dr. Siddharth Singh stressed upon the more integrated approach of Water and Sanitation mechanisms to strengthen the sector in the state.

Debajyoti Dutta, Joint Secretary, Personal Department; Pramod Borah, Dy Director, Finance Department; Malin Deka, Assistant Executive Engineer, PHED; Pratul Choudhury, Assistant Executive Engineer; Mrinal Kalita, PHED and were also present as resource person during the two days program. Besides these twelve audio visual quickies developed by water and sanitation support organization on thematic areas for creating awareness among the masses were also displayed during the program. The two days training program concluded with a vote of thanks from Gautam Paul, Director, WSSO, PHED, Assam.