Chitradurga, August 19: Contractors who could not complete Har Ghar Jal works within the stipulated period have been given an opportunity to submit proposals seeking an extension of time to complete the works, said Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Akash S.

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He was speaking while chairing the District Water and Sanitation Mission Committee meeting held at the Zilla Panchayat Neer Lab in Chitradurga on Wednesday.

Under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), work orders had earlier been issued to contractors with a condition that the Har Ghar Jal works be completed within the prescribed timeframe. However, delays in completing the works resulted in delays in declaring villages as Har Ghar Jal villages.

At the meeting held on July 2, it was decided that contractors who were genuinely willing to come forward and complete the pending works would be given relief from penalties imposed for the delay. As a continuation of this decision, contractors have now been allowed to submit requests seeking an extension of time.

Contractors must submit their applications in Form-1 within four days to the Assistant Executive Engineer of the Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Sub-Division concerned, explaining the reasons for the delay.

Based on these applications, the PDOs and Administrative Officers of the respective Gram Panchayats, along with Branch Officers and Executive Officers, must submit verification reports in Form-2.

The Assistant Executive Engineers have been instructed to submit the proposal reports in Form-3 within seven days to the Executive Engineers. The Executive Engineers must consolidate all proposals and ensure that they are submitted to the Divisional Office by September 4, Dr. Akash S. directed.

Technology to Monitor Drinking Water Supply

Dr. Akash S. said technology is being used to collect information and verify whether the stipulated 55 litres of drinking water per person per day is being supplied across all villages of the district, including those covered under multi-village drinking water schemes.

As part of this initiative, a Neer Lab has already been established. Similarly, the administration is considering installing technology-based water flow meters at around 1,000 RO plants across the district to monitor their operational status without human intervention, he said.

Zilla Panchayat Deputy Secretary Babu, Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department Executive Engineer Amarnath Jain, Assistant Conservator of Forests Vasanth, District Scheduled Tribes Welfare Officer Divakar, water expert Devaraj Reddy and Assistant Executive Engineers were present at the meeting.