Bhubaneswar: The state government will ensure supply of drinking water for all in the urban areas.

Under the scheme, the government will make effort to provide pipe water to people. It will ensure that more people are covered under the Aahaar scheme, in which the urban poor are being given rice and dal at Rs 5.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik will launch 545 projects approved in the annual action plan under the urban water supply scheme. Officials said he would also dedicate about 200 projects for achieving universal coverage of water supply covering all wards of 113 urban local bodies in a public programme at Barabati stadium on October 20.The districts will be connected through video connectivity. Through videoconference, Naveen will dedicate the projects in many areas. The district collectors and other officials will remain present when the chief minister dedicates the projects from Cuttack.

In another development, the state Election Commission has geared up to hold the municipal elections early next year. It has directed the state government to begin the process for holding urban polls and complete the ward de-limitation exercise by January 2018. The state Election Commissioner has asked the government to complete delimitation of 93 urban local bodies (ULBs). "The term of 66 urban local bodies, including the Berhampur Municipal Corporation, will expire on September 30, 2018, whereas that of other 20 ULBs will be over by December 4, 2018," said a poll body official.

Besides, the state government has decided to open new Aahaar kendras to provide cheap food to the people at Balnagir, Bargarh, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Bhadrak, Jharsuguda and Ganjam. It has released Rs 4.03 crore for construction of the Aahaar kendra. The scheme had been launched in April 2015 and now people are being given the food at more than 100 centres.

It has asked the district collectors to identify suitable land for construction of new Aahaar kendra and identify executing agency and issue work order.