PUNE, May 30: Maharashtra will not face problems of electricity from May 1998 as the two power projects, each equipped with producing 1,000 MW capacity will be operative from January 1998, assured Deputy Chief Minster Gopinath Munde today.

He was addressing a function after performing bhoomi pujan and foundation stone laying ceremony of Bhujal Bhavan which will house the headquarters of Directorate of Ground Water Survey and Development in the city.

Munde said that the alliance government has resolved to overcome the problems of drinking water in the State by presenting `white paper' for the first time.

Fifteen per cent water in all existing dams and dams to be constructed in future will be reserved for drinking purposes, he announced adding that henceforth planning of water supply will be done after considering population growth after 30 years.

The State government also changed its priorities to solve the problem of drinking water, he said adding that earlier drinking water was third on the priority list after agriculture and industry. ``However, our government brought issue of drinking water first on the priority list followed by agriculture and industry,'' Munde said.

Munde was full of praise for Anna Dange, State Minister for Rural Development and Water Supply. ``It was Anna's initiative that led to formulation of Rs 10,000 crore scheme for water. We were always questioned by the Opposition that when the problem could not be solved in last 50 years, how can it be solved in five years. But our government has will power to do it,'' he said.

He announced that Chief Minister Manohar Joshi, who is on a tour of east Asian nations, has succeeded in signing a memorandum of understanding with a Japanese bank which agreed to fund the water project. ``They will provide us Rs 2,000 crore,'' he told the audience.

In his presidential address, Anna Dange, Minister for Rural Development and Water Supply stressed on the need to instal state-of-the-art technology in the ground water survey directorate.

Minister of State for Water Supply Ravindra Mane, vice-chairman of State Planning Commission Prakash Javdekar also spoke.

Meanwhile, the State government will set up a special wing of the police to deal with economic offences within two months, Munde announced.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.