A nationwide audit under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) has triggered strict monitoring after inspections revealed serious irregularities across states.
Ground checks by 287 central officers revealed that only 68% of villages under mega water-supply schemes had regular water supply, 6% had irregular supply, and 26% were completely non-functional.
What is Jal Jeevan Mission?
Launched on August 15, 2019, JJM aims to provide every rural household with a functional tap connection, delivering 55 litres of safe drinking water per person per day. Initially set for completion by 2024, the deadline has now been extended to 2028 to cover remaining households and strengthen long-term upkeep.
Action After Audit: Penalties and Arrests
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed the Jal Shakti Ministry to act against those involved in irregularities. So far:
607 cases flagged across 20 states
579 departmental proceedings initiated
531 officials penalised, 12 suspended
236 contractors blacklisted, 116 contracts terminated
143 officials removed from inspection roles
9 FIRs filed, 19 arrests, including a former minister
The Centre has imposed penalties of Rs 129.27 crore on seven states, recovered Rs 12.95 crore, and frozen fresh funds until corrective steps are completed.
Mission Progress: How Far Have We Come?
At the scheme's launch in 2019, only 3.2 crore rural households (or 16.71% of the total in India) had tap water. Since then, 12.5 crore households have been added under JJM, which means 81.34% coverage has been achieved (15.7 crore households). However, 26% of these connections are non-functional, raising questions about sustainability.
Also, the yearly addition of tap water connections has been uneven. The highest increase came in 2020-21, when about 3.2 crore households were covered. In contrast, 2024-25 saw a sharp slowdown with only 0.2 crore households added.
States Under Scrutiny
Seven states - Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Gujarat, Assam, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Rajasthan - have imposed penalties and initiated recovery from contractors, with Rs 12.95 crore recovered so far.
Gujarat reported the highest amount, with penalties and potential recoveries totalling Rs 120.65 crore, followed by Rajasthan at Rs 5.34 crore. In Uttar Pradesh, "liquidated damages" between 0.1% and 10% have been imposed in 113 of the 119 cases where action has been taken. In the remaining six cases, the scope of contractors' work has been reduced, covering between 43 and 212 villages.
Funding Trends: Big Allocations, Uneven Utilisation
Central allocations for JJM surged from Rs 5,983 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 82,295 crore in 2023-24, before dropping to Rs 26,164 crore in 2024-25.
However, utilisation has lagged:
2021-22: 27%
2023-24: 62% (highest)
2024-25: 37%
States and UTs have spent Rs 62,905 crore so far, combining central and state shares. Uttar Pradesh tops spending, followed by Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, while Puducherry and Telangana report no expenditure.
The Big Picture
With 26% non-functional villages, uneven fund utilisation, and irregular supply, JJM faces a credibility test. The fund freeze signals a shift toward stricter accountability as the mission enters its extended phase until 2028.
