Badal seeks additional WB funding for water,sanitation schemes

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today sought additional funds from the World Bank for timely execution of Water Supply and Sanitation Schemes (WSSS) in the water-logged areas of the state.
The Chief Minister reviewed the progress of World Bank-funded various ongoing water supply and sanitation schemes across the state during a high-level meeting with the members of World Bank Mission and senior officers of the department here.
Badal brought to the notice of the World Bank that nearly 40,000 toilets were needed to be constructed in the water-logged areas and the cost of per toilet was calculated around Rs 28,400 against construction cost of Rs 15,000 in the normal areas.

The additional cost on the count should be immediately provided by the World Bank so that this gigantic task could be completed within the set time-frame, Badal said, according to an official release here.
Badal also asked the World Bank to accept the claim for reimbursement as soon as the funds were released.
The World Bank team leader Srinivasa Rao Podipireddy updated the Chief Minister that water supply schemes have been provided in 317 Not Completed (NC) and Partially Completed (PC) villages.