UP BJP chief and now also UP’s Jal Shakti minister, Swatantra Dev Singh shares his vision for the department, in a candid chat with Rajiv Srivastava. Excerpts...
As Jal Shakti minister, what challenges do you see?
The first challenge is to provide piped drinking water to every household in the state. Second is to ensure water till the tail of the canal and to every field. Then we have a challenge of floods and the fourth is that all rivers should be clean. These challenges would be met only through a mass movement. People should avoid using plastic, polythene and other pollutants. Cleanliness of rivers should be the priority for all as we all need to save water as well as keep the atmosphere pollution free. For this, everyone should think about keeping the nearby ponds, rivers and wells clean. There are sound reasons for saving them from pollution. When a child is born, or a bride comes to the groom’s place, or even when someone dies in villages, prayers are offered at wells and ponds. Hence along with the government, people should also initiate mass movement.
You have a big department, people and farmers have direct association with this department. There have been challenges and even some controversies in the past.
There have been a lot of positive changes in the past five years under the Yogi government. Dirty games were played in the previous SP and BSP rule, not in the Yogi Government. The atmosphere is changing and even officials are changing. There is not much misuse, if there is some I will look at it on my own. It’s a very old department. We will have to work towards strengthening the system and more transparency.
How do you see your journey from transport minister to UP BJP chief and back as cabinet minister?
My journey has been good. My effort has been to work for the betterment of society while sitting on any chair. The transport department recorded profit when I became the minister , I led the BJP also in a satisfactory manner and we were able to form a government in UP again. In this department also my effort would be to take along all the officials and ensure tha t people’s welfare is on top priority.
Piped water to Bundelkhand region had been the top priority, but the pace had been slow. How do you see this?
I am just leaving for Mahoba to review the situation in the region. Work should have been completed in the stipulated time frame but because of the Corona pandemic things did get affected. However , the work has now picked up pace and would be completed as soon as possible.
What target do you foresee achieving in two years from now as Lok Sabha elections are scheduled to be held in 2024?
The biggest challenge for the department would be to ensure piped water connection to every household in the state. This project must be completed across the state by the department before the party goes to the people seeking support for the Lok Sabha elections. For this to be achieved, the department would have to work hard. This is after all Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream to ensure piped-water connection by 2024 to all the households in the state.
