With the Government according top priority for cleansing river Ganga, Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti today exuded confidence that the 'Namami Gange' programme would take off by this October.
Briefing reporters after a high-level meeting of Central Ministers and senior Government officials, Bharti said the informal group constituted for rejuvenation of Ganga river is making extraordinary progress.
"The Namami Gange project, involving the ministries of rural development, shipping and water resources may take off from October, if we go by the progress so far," she added.
The Centre has allocated Rs 2,037 crore for an integrated programme for the conservation of river Ganga named 'Namami Gange' in the Union Budget last week.
Bharti also said that an informal group comprising the secretaries of ministries of rural development, shipping, transport, tourism and water resources is in the process of preparing a report to fulfil the mission of retrieving the past glory of the river.
Stating that the past errors such as the failures in Ganga Action Plan would be set right, the Union Minister wondered about works carried out by the National Ganga River Basin Authority towards cleaning up the holy river.
"Our motive is to set right the past errors such as the failures of Ganga Action Plan. What work has been done under the Ganga Basin Authority?" Bharti asked.
Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Minister of State for Tourism Shripad Naik also attended today's meeting.
