Haryana government has decided to waive off the water connection fee of Rs 500 for all categories of households in rural areas so as to give them free water connection up to March 31 next year.
A decision to this effect has been taken to give boost to the water conservation campaign being implemented in the state, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said today.
During the water conservation campaign launched from December 2012 to January 2013, as many as 1,35,587 water connections were sanctioned in the rural areas of the state, an official release said here.
Hooda said that under the Indira Gandhi Drinking Water scheme launched by the state Government in November 2006, 10.36 lakh Scheduled Castes households in the rural and urban areas are being provided water connections free of cost.
Under the scheme, a 200 litres water tank is being provided in the premises of Scheduled Castes households. In addition, a 50 per cent concession on water charges has been given to them.
He said that the scheme has now been re-christened and become a part of the larger definition covered under the Special Component Sub Plan.
The CM said that to encourage the people to take private water connections, water conservation policy was introduced in the State during 2012.
Under this policy, water conservation awards are being given to the eligible gram panchayats who have sanctioned private water connections in minimum of 75 per cent of the households in the village and who ensure provision of taps on all private and public connections.
