HP may bifurcate IPH department

SHIMLA, June 16: The Himachal Pradesh Government is actively considering a proposal to bifurcate Department of Irrigation and Public Health ...

SHIMLA, June 16: The Himachal Pradesh Government is actively considering a proposal to bifurcate Department of Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) for creating two separate departments of Irrigation and Drinking Water Supplies in the state.

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal told newsmen here that Irrigation and Drinking Water Supplies were absolutely different type of functions and each function was getting neglected at the cost of the other. “When there is drinking water scarcity in some areas, the engineers get involved in it and irrigation work takes a back seat,” he observed. The Chief Minister said once separate set-ups were created for Irrigation and Public Health Engineering (PHE), the government expects a vast change in their working.

Dhumal said exact modalities for bifurcation of the department would be worked out soon in consultation with senior government functionaries, engineers and experts. He recalled that after the IPH Department was bifurcated from Public Works, functioning of both the departments had seen a big change. The bifurcation, he hoped would help the government in bringing more funds from the Centre and other agencies for irrigation and drinking water projects.

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Referring to the railway network expansion plans in the state, Dhumal recalled his talks with Union Minister for Railways Nitish Kumar and said the minister had sanctioned Rs. 23 crore for the Kalka-Parwanoo broad-gauge railway line and another Rs. 7 crore for Una-Tarala railway line. He had also drawn the attention of the minister towards the proposed Bhanupalli-Rampur railway line project, which awaits approval of the ministry. The project had been drawn-up by the state government on the pattern of the Konkan railway.

Dhumal said that the Ministry of Railway had agreed torun a direct train between Mumbai and Kalka for the benefit of the tourists visiting Himachal Pradesh. Though, the train would start from August 15 next but the state government wanted it to start next month to facilitate the tourists.

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