News Brief
Centre Seeks States’ Reports On Corruption Probes, Disciplinary Action In Jal Jeevan Mission Projects
Jal Jeevan Mission (Representative Image)
The Centre has directed all states to submit detailed reports on corruption probes, disciplinary measures, and accountability actions taken against officials and contractors involved in irregularities under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), the Indian Express reported.
The directive follows a top-level review meeting on the scheme’s implementation and its proposed extension till 2028.
According to sources, the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti issued the order on 10 October, asking Chief Secretaries to submit reports by 20 October.
States have been told to provide details of action taken against Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) officials, including suspension, removal, or FIRs related to poor-quality work and financial irregularities.
They must also share data on contractors and Third Party Inspection Agencies (TPIAs) penalised or blacklisted, amounts recovered, and FIRs filed.
The directive further instructs states to examine “public allegations… for the misuse of funds or financial irregularities,” and send “a detailed one-page report” for each FIR-registered case.
The move comes months after the Centre deployed over 100 nodal officer teams for ground inspection of JJM works nationwide, following a review chaired by the Cabinet Secretary.
Launched in 2019 to provide tap water to every rural household, JJM has so far approved 6.41 lakh water supply schemes worth Rs 8.29 lakh crore, covering 12.74 crore households.
As of now, Rs 3.91 lakh crore has been spent, according to the JJM dashboard.
An earlier Indian Express investigation found that guideline changes in 2021 led to a 14.58 per cent cost escalation, adding Rs 16,839 crore across 14,586 schemes.
