PM Modi Halts Jal Jeevan Mission Funding to States Over Widespread Irregularities
NEW DELHI – Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered a freeze on fresh funding for the flagship Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), citing widespread discrepancies between reported household tap connections and the actual supply of functional water. The move follows extensive nationwide field inspections that revealed a significant failure in the scheme's on-ground implementation.
Centre Imposes Stiff Penalties and Demands Action
Acting on the Prime Minister's directive of zero tolerance for violations, the Centre has imposed penalties totaling Rs 129.27 crore on seven states for procedural, financial, and quality-related lapses.
The highest recovery has been initiated from Gujarat (Rs 120.65 crore).
Assam is among the seven penalized states, facing recovery proceedings for irregularities. While initial reports cited a general penalty on the state, one report specifies the recovery initiated from Assam is Rs 5.08 lakh.
In total, the government has recovered Rs 12.95 crore so far from the total penalty imposed.
Inspections conducted between 2022 and 2024 confirmed that 14 to 16 percent of areas with reported tap connections were not receiving a regular water supply. Irregularities have been confirmed in at least 20 states and union territories, leading to action in 607 cases involving officials, contractors, and third-party inspection agencies.
Funding Tied to Compliance and Functional Delivery
The Centre has explicitly stated that no state will receive additional funds until complaints are fully resolved and they can demonstrate a functional water supply to households. Future funding, including for the scheme's extended run until 2028, will now be strictly dependent on the verification of actual water delivery and not just infrastructure completion on paper. States have been instructed to submit Action Taken Reports (ATR) detailing corrective measures before any new funds are approved.
The scheme, launched in 2019, has already seen its spending exceed Rs 4.33 lakh crore against an initial outlay of Rs 3.6 lakh crore. Officials attribute recurring problems largely to weak operation and maintenance systems, especially where local bodies lack technical capacity.
This video provides an overview of the PM's tough crackdown on irregularities within the Jal Jeevan Mission. PM's Tough Crackdown On Jal Jeevan Mission Irregularities: 'No One Will Be Spared'
