IEP Chandigarh, January 10
On the direction of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the ‘Nal Jal Mitra Scheme’ is set to be launched across all villages in Punjab. The Department of Water Supply and Sanitation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, has devised a comprehensive multi-skilling course for ‘Nal Jal Mitra.’ Beneficiaries undertaking the course will not incur any fees, as the government will bear all costs.
Divulging the further information, Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Bram Shanker Jimpa said that the course’s primary goal is to offer skill-based training to local residents in villages, empowering them to efficiently manage water supply schemes. He said that course participants will gain the ability to perform minor repairs and maintenance, potentially leading to employment opportunities within their villages.
The Cabinet Minister said that the course spans 510 hours and aims to create employment opportunities within approximately 12,000 villages of Punjab through the Nal Jal Mitra program. The Technical Education Department will provide training in plumbing, electrical works, pump operation and more. The government is planning to launch this program by March of this year.
To facilitate the training initiative, gram panchayats in villages would nominate a local individual for maintaining their water supply scheme. Each gram panchayat is expected to have at least one person undergo ‘Nal Jal Mitra’ training.
It is pertinent to mention here that under the Jal Jeevan Mission, efforts are underway to ensure water availability for every rural household. In many Punjab villages, gram panchayats manage water supply schemes through water and sanitation committees (GPWSC). The long-term sustainability of these schemes relies on skilled human resources at the local level, making the implementation of the Nal Jal Mitra scheme crucial across all villages in Punjab.
