JJM funding resumed, 5 states to get ₹1,561 cr

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like JJM funding resumed, 5 states to get ₹1,561 crThe Centre on Tuesday cleared funds to five states among 12 that have signed fresh agreements to implement a revamped Jal Jeevan Mission, the flagship piped water programme, aimed at curbing irregularities and enhancing verifiable delivery outcomes. With this, the Centre has resumed fresh allocations for the programme, which aims to connect each of India’s nearly 194 million rural households with doorstep tap-water connections. The government had paused funding states as it worked on redrawing the programme’s framework to enforce stricter checks. A total amount of ₹1,561.53 crore has been released. Uttar Pradesh has been given ₹792.93 crore, Chhattisgarh ₹536.53 crore, Madhya Pradesh ₹154.02 crore, Odisha ₹65.31 crore and Maharashtra ₹12.74 crore. “To ensure transparency, accountability and improved service delivery, a system of structured validations has been put in place, which states are required to fulfil prior to the release of funds,” drinking water and sanitation secretary Ashok KK Meena said. The funds were released following the fulfilment of mandatory compliance conditions. The Union Cabinet on 10 March had approved Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0, marking a restructuring and reorientation of the mission from an “infrastructure-centric approach to a service delivery model”. As part of this restructuring, the Cabinet had approved a total outlay to ₹8.69 lakh crore, in which the Centre’s share would be ₹3.59 lakh crore, up from ₹2.08 lakh crore spent since the programme was rolled out in 2020-19. The scheme aimed to provide functional tap water connections to all of India’s 193.5 million rural households by the end of 2024. According to the programme’s dashboard, 158.2 million households, or 81.5% of the total, currently have a functional tap connection. The baseline coverage was about 16.72% when the mission was launched. The programme was extended until December 2028 last year. Zia Haq reports on public policy, economy and agriculture. Particularly interested in development economics and growth theories.