Gujarat Assembly: State govt plans to link water connection with Aadhaar, and more

The linking of water connection with Aadhar numbers was also included in the resolution proposed by BJP MLA from Karanj constituency Pravinbhai Ghoghari in the Assembly on Thursday.

“To achieve the desired objectives and determine specific results, there will be efforts to link every existing water connection with the Aadhaar numbers,” states the resolution submitted by Ghoghari in the House requesting for a mass movement through Gujarat government’s ‘Jal Sanchay Abhiyan’ in order to have a permanent solution for the drinking water issue in the state.

After a discussion and information shared by Bavaliya, the House expressed satisfaction over steps and planning undertaken by the state government and the resolution was passed with a consensus.

“We are also planning to increase the 55 litre per capita water supply in rural areas to 100 litre per capita which has been planned keeping in view the requests made for the water requirement by the cattle too,” the Minister said.

Giving details of steps taken by the state government to resolve the issue of drinking water scarcity, Bavaliya told the House that under the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ scheme of the Centre, more than 13,300 villages and 203 urban areas have been connected with the water supply grid. Also, the state government aims to connect each rural household with drinking water tap by 2024.

“For this, Rs 724 crore has been allocated in the financial Budget 2020-21,” he said. He further added that in the state out of total 18,000 villages, nearly 13,300 and 906 cities have been provided with surface water facility.

Also, the government aims to connect even the outer areas of villages known as ‘para’ in Gujarati. “These areas holding a population of more than 250 within 1-2 kilometre from the village has been exempted the 10 per cent sharing of the scheme cost by the community under community contribution,” he said.

In Gujarat, out of total nearly 91 lakh houses in rural areas, of which 73 lakh get drinking water, remaining 18 lakh houses will get water by August 2022.

For quick implementation of Water and Sanitation Management Organisation (WASMO), strengthening of internal distribution water  supply scheme and drinking water schemes, external survey agencies will work in coordination with gram samitis and water samitis.

‘7,500 anganwadi centres function from rented or other premises’

Gandhinagar

Nearly 7,500 anganwadi centres in Gujarat are functioning from rented or other premises in the state, the data produced by the Gujarat government before the Gujarat Assembly on Thursday revealed. The figure came up in response to various queries raised by Congress MLAs in the Assembly during Question Hour.

As per the data, there are a total of 48,489 anganwadi centres in the state. Banaskantha, Dahod and Kutch top the list with 3,365, 3,056 and 2,116 anganwadi centres respectively. Of the total 48,489 centres, 7,465 centres are functioning from either rented or other premises. The maximum anganwadis functioning from such premises are from Kutch (603), Surendranagar (543) and Gir Somnath (491).

Congress slammed the state government over the issue. (Express News Service)

State govt seeks additional haj quota from centre, says Chudasama

Gandhinagar

Senior cabinet minister in Gujarat government Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, on Thursday, said the mantra of the state government is only development and not casteism or communalism. Chuadasama added that in past, the Haj quota for minorities in Gujarat was never utilised to its full which is happening now as a result of which the state government has to seek additional quota from the Central government.

Chudasama was speaking at the assembly while participating in the general discussion of the Budget for 2020-21.

“Neither communalism nor casteism, the mantra of our government is only development. Our government under the leadership of Vijaybhai Rupani has succeeded in that. In the past, the Haj quota for minorities (from Gujarat) was not getting utilised to its full. Whereas, today it is being fully utilised and we have to seek additional quota from the Centre….”

Chuasama also said that the government has been giving priority to subjects like roads, water, electricity, education while taking lessons from the past and bringing better solutions. He also hailed the new initiatives announced in the Budget like an urban health centre per 10,000 population, Schools of Excellence and cow-based organic farming. (Express News Service)

‘104 leopard attacks in 2 yrs in Gir Somnath, Amreli’

Gandhinagar

In the last two years, Gir Somnath and Amreli districts of Saurashtra region have witnessed 104 leopard attacks on humans. In these attacks, 16 people were killed and 88 sustained injuries. The information was provided by Forest Minister Ganpat Vasava in a written reply to a starred question raised by senior Congress MLA Punja Vansh in the Gujarat Assembly on Thursday.

As per the reply from Vasava, leopards attacked 25 people in 2018 and 28 people in 2019 in Gir Somnath district. The same figures for the corresponding years in Amreli are 17 and 34. In these attacks, 11 persons were killed by leopards in Amreli district; whereas five persons were killed by leopards in Gir Somnath district. Regarding steps being taken by the state government to bring down the number of leopard attacks, Vasava said that the Forest department has been conducting awareness programmes, while also asking people not to sleep in the open. At the same time, he added, as soon as information about leopard or lions sightings (near human habitats) is received, a team of Forest department officials is immediately sent to drive away the animal.

In case of deaths in such leopard attacks, the state government has been paying compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased. Similarly, in case of injuries sustained in such attacks, the government is paying compensation on the basis of the gravity of the
injuries and it may vary from Rs 4,300 to Rs 2 lakh. (Express News Service)

Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary: 44 cases of poaching in two years: Forest minister

Gandhinagar

The Gujarat Forest department has detected and registered a total of 44 cases of poaching and trading of migratory birds at the Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary in the last two years. A total of 21 persons have been arrested for the same under provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act.

The information was provided to the Gujarat Assembly on Thursday by Forest Minister Ganpat Vasava in reply to a starred question raised by Congress MLA from Kalol constituency, Baldevji Thakor.

Thakor had sought the details of the illegal activities at Nalsarovar between 2018 and 2019, along with the number of birds — both dead and alive — recovered by the Forest department. Vasava said that Forest department had detected 34 cases of poaching or illegal trading of birds in 2018 and 10 such cases in 2019. After the detection of the crimes, forest officials had arrested 21 persons, while recovering 71 dead and 533 alive birds in the two years, he added.

Nalsarovar is the only Ramsar site in the state. Ramsar sites are those which have been granted the status to preserve the ecological character of wetlands of international importance in the signatory countries of the Ramsar Convention, an inter-governmental accord signed in February 1971.

Among the steps taken by the authorities to check instances of poaching, Vasava said that the state government has decided to form the Nalsarovar and Thol Birds’ Sanctuaries Conservation Society. Thol is another waterbody near Ahmedabad city where migratory birds come during winter season. (Express News Service)