Provinces provided billions of rupees to set up water filtration plants

SLAMABAD: Minister of State for Production, Khawaja Sheraz Mehmood Wednesday informed the National Assembly that the federal government had transferred billions of rupees to the provinces for setting up filtration plants for provision of safe drinking water to the masses.

Replying to a Calling Attention notice raised by Abdul Ghafoor Chaudhry, Dr Talat Mahesar and other members regarding non-availability of clean drinking water to the general public in all parts of the country, the minister said that setting up of water filtration plants at every union council level was a foreign funded project which was to be completed in 2007.

The Minister said that it was a project of Special Initiative Ministry but now the ministry was devolved to the province under 18th amendment.

He said the federal government had transferred all funds to the provinces and it was the prime responsibility of local governments to run the projects. However, he said the local government system is not properly working for the past three years.

He said that Rs.4 billion funds were provided to Punjab for a safe drinking project, which was closed. The minister further said that Capital Development Authority (CDA) has installed water filtration plants across the capital for provision of clean drinking water to the residents, adding the authority was properly maintaining these plants.

He said that he would submit report to the House after getting details of the project from the provinces.

Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza said that it was an important project and asked the minister to take details of the project from the provinces.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011