From green projects, Khandre shifts focus to villages

Bengaluru: While some of his cabinet colleagues remained disgruntled with their portfolios and refused to take charge, newly appointed rural development and panchayat raj minister Eshwar Khandre got down to brass tacks Friday and set priorities for his department. These include ensuring clean drinking water, improving sanitation, and creating quality public assets in villages.

Khandre said the govt was committed to supplying drinking water to rural areas through surface water sources for the next 25 years and that determined efforts would be made to realise the goal. Recalling Mahatma Gandhi’s words that “the soul of India lies in its villages”, he said strengthening rural infrastructure would be the centre of his agenda.

He said priority would be given to maintaining cleanliness in villages, conserving lakes and water bodies, and improving civic amenities. Khandre said he would hold an introductory meeting with department officials on Saturday to draw up an action plan.

He praised his predecessor Priyank Kharge, saying he had performed well and that ongoing projects and initiatives would be continued and strengthened.

Khandre’s shift to RDPR comes even as several major projects initiated during his tenure as forest and environment minister are nearing completion. An aide said: “Despite limited financial resources and numerous administrative challenges, Khandre demonstrated impactful work is possible in the forest department. The timing of the portfolio change has come as a disappointment because several major projects that he personally monitored over the past three years had reached the final stage and were awaiting inauguration or implementation.”

Among projects awaiting rollout are the proposed 150-acre biodiversity park at Madappanahalli near Yelahanka, Karnataka’s first marine sanctuary at Mugli-Apsarakonda in Honnavar, rehabilitation plans for forest dwellers in Kudremukh National Park and Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary, and an elephant soft-release centre in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.

The conversion of Bannerghatta Biological Park into India’s first fully solar-powered zoo and eco-restoration measures at Hesaraghatta Community Conservation Reserve are also in the final stages.