Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary chaired a high-level review meeting of Minor Water Resources Department in Patna. Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui
By A Correspondent
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary chaired a high-level review meeting on the maintenance of tube wells, ponds, ahar, pain, and other traditional water bodies at the ‘Sankalp’ hall of the Lok Sevak Awas, 1 Anne Marg.
During the meeting, B. Kartikeya Dhanji, Secretary of the Minor Water Resources Department, presented detailed information on the department’s plans and proposals for maintaining tube wells. Additional Chief Secretary of the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department, Anand Kishor, and Panchayati Raj Department Secretary, Manoj Kumar Singh, also shared their departments’ suggestions.
The Chief Minister directed that the responsibility for the maintenance and operation of government tube wells be handed over to the Minor Water Resources Department. He emphasised the need for coordination between the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department and the Panchayati Raj Department to ensure effective implementation.
Highlighting the importance of irrigation in agriculture, Samrat Choudhary said the government is continuously working to protect farmers’ interests and increase their income. He urged officials to speed up efforts to ensure water reaches every field, noting that reliable irrigation is essential to prevent difficulties for farmers during cultivation.
He also stressed that proper maintenance and functioning of government tube wells is crucial, especially in view of uncertain monsoon conditions. To improve management, he called for the formation of ward-level committees to oversee operations and upkeep. He added that ponds, ahar, pain, and other water bodies also play a vital role in irrigation and must be maintained efficiently.
The Chief Minister further instructed the Panchayati Raj Department to formally transfer responsibility for tube wells to the Minor Water Resources Department and to establish its own engineering wing. He said the recruitment of engineers would help improve construction and technical work at the panchayat level. He also remarked that there is no need to cover drains located outside villages in rural areas.
The meeting was attended by Minor Water Resources Minister Santosh Kumar Suman, Panchayati Raj Minister Deepak Prakash, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Deepak Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary Anand Kishor, Secretary to the Chief Minister Lokesh Kumar Singh, Panchayati Raj Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, and other senior officials.
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