Assam among states flagged for Jal Jeevan Mission failures; centre freezes funds

Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered a freeze on new funding for the Jal Jeevan Mission after inspections found widespread discrepancies between reported tap connections and actual household water supply.

Field investigations revealed that many states were reporting completed infrastructure even though households were not receiving regular water.

The Centre flagged Assam and six other states for irregularities and recovered Rs 12.95 crore from a total penalty of Rs 129.27 crore for procedural, financial, and quality violations.

Assam submitted an action taken report after senior Central Nodal Officers conducted on-ground verification of water supply claims.

Nationwide, the mission, launched in 2019 with an outlay of Rs 3.6 lakh crore and now exceeding Rs 4.33 lakh crore, has provided infrastructure to 19.36 crore households.

However, inspections conducted between 2022 and 2024 found that 14 to 16 per cent of areas with reported tap connections did not receive regular water.

Gujarat faces the highest recovery at Rs 120.65 crore, followed by Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Tripura, Assam, and Tamil Nadu.

The Prime Minister stated that the Centre will withhold additional funds from states until they resolve complaints and verify a functional water supply.

The Centre has taken action in 607 cases involving 62 officials, 969 contractors, and 153 third-party inspection agencies.

Police filed nine FIRs, resulting in the arrests of a former minister, 10 officials, and eight contractors.

Officials said recurring problems are linked to weak operation and maintenance systems, especially in areas where gram panchayats lack technical capacity.

States with stronger local governance, such as Kerala, have achieved better results.

All 32 states and union territories have now submitted progress updates. The government has emphasised that future funding will be based on actual water delivery rather than reported infrastructure.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman extended the scheme until 2028, but the government will approve no further funding until states demonstrate corrective measures.