Second Phase of 'Rajiv Gandhi Jal Sanchay Yojana (RGJSY)' Started

• 23 Mar 2023

Why in News?

On 22 March 2023, Rajasthan's Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Ramesh Chand Meena virtually inaugurated the second phase of 'Rajiv Gandhi Jal Sanchay Yojana (RGJSY)' at the state level program organised at Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur on World Water Day.

Key Points

• Under the second phase of the Rajiv Gandhi Jal Sanchay Yojana (RGJSY), 2 lakh activities of water storage and conservation with an amount of Rs 2600 crore, will be done in 4600 villages in 349 Panchayat Samitis of 33 districts of the state.
• Minister Ramesh Chand Meena said that the villagers should fix the centre line for the rivers, make efforts for the revival of the rivers that have disappeared, plant more and more trees, use organic fertilisers for farming and cooperate in ensuring access of water to the reservoirs by removing encroachments from the roads.
• He said that the success of the Rajiv Gandhi Jal Sanchay Yojana (RGJSY) would be ensured only when the work being done under it is not only visible on the ground, but also increases the water level of the area. There should be discussion in every Gram Sabha regarding water conservation works and water harvesting works should be decided only after mutual discussion.
• In the programme, Panchayati Raj Minister, along with the launching of the department's YouTube channel, various social media handles, as well as awards for excellent works in the watershed area, were given at the district level, block level, project level and gram panchayat level.
• On this occasion, a short film was screened on the first phase of Rajiv Gandhi Jal Sanchay Yojana and the importance of water catchment works.
• It is noteworthy that 'Rajiv Gandhi Jal Sanchay Yojana' was started on 20 August 2019 to get the state out of drought and famine. Through the scheme, old wells, drains, rivers, reservoirs and canals are being cleaned by preparing an action plan for renovation and increasing their water conservation capacity. In the first phase of the scheme, 4029 villages have been included in 1450-gram panchayats.