New Delhi, Mar 8 (PTI) Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will chair a regional conference with ministers of six states and a Union Territory to review the progress made under Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen.

The conference will be held at Kolkata on Wednesday.

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The meeting will also be attended physically by Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Prahlad Singh Patel, state ministers along with senior officers from rural water supply and sanitation department, the ministry said in a statement.

"Women are given a pivotal role under the 'Har Ghar Jal' as they are the primary stakeholders and are involved in the programme from the very beginning. They are part of planning, monitoring and also receive training to undertake water quality testing from time-to-time.

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"It is a move to empower the women and reduce their drudgery. The present government ensures 'ease of living' especially for people living in rural areas so that the urban-rural divide is bridged," the statement quoting Shekhawat said.

During the meeting, the Union minister will discuss issues and challenges faced by Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Odisha, West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands in implementing Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen.

'Har Ghar Jal' is a flagship programme of Government of India being implemented by Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

SBM(G)) is a flagship programme of the central government which was launched in 2014. The districts declared themselves Open Defecation Free (ODF) on October, 2 2019.

Currently, SBM(G) Phase-II is being implemented by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti with a focus on sustaining ODF status and ensuring Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM), so that the villages move from ODF to ODF Plus.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)