ABSTRACT
Allocations towards rural water supply are based on norms fixed using the Standard Scheduled Rates (SSRs) and one-time investments with annual allocations towards the operation and maintenance of the systems. State-level norms are arrived at using the average of the administrative regions of the state. Often, the differences between regions mostly pertain to labour costs, and these norms are estimated for each technology, i.e., Single-Village Schemes (SVS), Multi-Village Schemes (MVS), and Hand Pumps (HPs). These norms – one norm for each technology – are used for fixing the allocations for rural water supply systems across Andhra Pradesh. The expenditure is assumed to last for a fixed number of years, ranging from 10 to 30 years, depending upon the component (see Appendix Table A4.1): i.e., a normative life span of the systems, which is based on technical assumptions made by the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) Department. Similarly, operation and maintenance allocations are fixed for each technology and allocated annually. Operation and maintenance expenditure is often met with the help of the resources generated through water charges paid to the village panchayat, which is responsible for the management of the systems, and the allocations from the Department of RWSS.
