Centre cracks down on Jal Jeevan Mission irregularities; 7 states to pay penalty totalling nearly Rs 130 crore

New Delhi: The Centre has imposed penalties totaling Rs 129.27 crore on seven states, with Gujarat facing the highest fine, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s directive to enforce strict accountability in the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).

Launched in 2019, the JJM aims to provide tap water connections to every household in India within five years. The states facing recoveries include Tamil Nadu (Rs 3 lakh), Tripura (Rs 1.22 crore), Assam (Rs 5.08 lakh), Maharashtra (Rs 2.02 crore), Karnataka (Rs 1.01 crore), Rajasthan (Rs 5.34 crore) and Gujarat. A senior official said the Centre has initiated recovery proceedings of Rs 120.65 crore from Gujarat and successfully recovered Rs 6.65 crore so far.

Of the total Rs 129.27 crore in penalties, Rs 12.95 crore has been collected to date.

The prime minister has stressed rigorous monitoring of the scheme with zero tolerance for financial, procedural or quality-related lapses. "Transparency and accountability continue to remain the non-negotiable pillars of the Mission, as emphasised by the prime minister," the official added.

The scheme, initially allocated Rs 3.60 lakh crore, has seen expenditure exceed Rs 4.33 lakh crore. Complaints of irregularities across states led the government to carry out on-ground verifications. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the extension of the scheme till 2028, but fund allocation will depend on corrective action against the reported irregularities.

Under the JJM, water pipelines and overhead tanks have been installed to provide potable water to 19.36 crore households. However, several gram panchayats faced operational and maintenance challenges, the officials noted.

As of now, 32 states and UTs have submitted action reports. A total of 20 states, including Assam, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, reported irregularities and have taken action in 607 cases involving 62 department officials, 969 contractors and 153 Third Party Inspection Agencies (TPIA). Nine FIRs have been registered against 20 officials, 10 contractors and one TPIA, resulting in arrests of a former minister, 10 officials and eight contractors.

The remaining 12 states and UTs, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Goa and Telangana, have submitted nil reports.

PTI