Srinagar: The Ministry of Panchayat Raj, Government of India, in collaboration with the Panchayati Raj & Rural Development Department, Government of Jammu & Kashmir and UNICEF on Tuesday launched “Water Supply and Sanitation Service Level Benchmarks and Model Contracts for Gram Panchayats.
An official said the benchmarks have been created through a synergistic partnership between the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and UNICEF India.
The ministry is hosting the National Workshop on Localizing Sustainable Development Goals in Gram Panchayats through Thematic Approaches, focusing on “Panchayat with Good Governance,” from August 21 to 23, 2023, in Srinagar, J&K.
During the workshop’s inaugural session today, a comprehensive technical document titled “Water Supply and Sanitation – Service Level Benchmarks and Model Contracts for Gram Panchayats,” created through a synergistic partnership between the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and UNICEF India, was launched.
This document, which underscores UNICEF India’s significant contribution, provides benchmarks and model contracts for assessing WASH services, encompassing water supply, waste management, and community behaviour.
Officials stated that It aids state governments and district authorities in evaluating service quality at the gram panchayat level, aligning with Localized Sustainable Development Goals and SDG6, ensuring water and sanitation access by 2030 in rural India.
The National Workshop was inaugurated in the presence of Shri Sunil Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Shri Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, Government of Jammu & Kashmir, Dr. Chandra Shekhar Kumar, Additional Secretary, MoPR, Smt. Mandeep Kaur, Commissioner & Secretary, RD&PR Deptt. Government of Jammu & Kashmir, Shri Vikas Anand, Joint Secretary, MoPR, Dr. Bijaya Kumar Behera, Economic Adviser, MoPR and other distinguished dignitaries and local public representatives. A host of Senior Officers of the Government of India and State Governments, representatives of UNICEF India/ International agencies and around 1000 elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions from across the country are also expected to grace the occasion.
