After PM Narendra Modi directed the Ministry of Jal Shakti to take action against those responsible for irregularities under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), at least seven states have imposed penalties and initiated recovery actions against contractors. A total of over Rs 129 crore has been identified for recovery so far, Indian Express reported.
A top official from the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), the nodal agency for JJM implementation, told IE that the Prime Minister has made it clear that any malpractice undermining the scheme’s objective of providing safe drinking water to all rural households will not be tolerated.
“The Prime Minister has only this to say: ‘we launched this scheme with the ultimate goal of providing water to everyone’s house’. ‘Any irregularities committed by anyone will not be spared now. You must take action,’” the official said. According to the DDWS, the Prime Minister has directed authorities to take swift action on every complaint received and the ministry has been actively coordinating with states to ensure accountability.
The Jal Jeevan Mission was launched in 2019 and it aims to provide functional household tap connections to every rural home, targeting completion by 2024. Although the original deadline has lapsed, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in her February 1 Budget speech that the programme would continue with enhanced financial support through 2028.
Gujarat & Rajasthan account for highest recoveries
Following the Centre’s directive, at least seven states — Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Gujarat, Assam, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Rajasthan — have imposed penalties and initiated recovery actions against contractors. A total of over Rs 129 crore has been identified for recovery, of which Rs 12.95 crore has already been realised. Gujarat has imposed the highest amount of recovery at Rs 120.65 crore, followed by Rajasthan at Rs 5.34 crore, the official further told Indian Express.
The states have taken action based on Central Nodal Officers’ (CNO) reports highlighting implementation gaps and critical issues during field inspections. These on-ground verification reports were shared with state governments as part of the Centre’s monitoring push.
Uttar Pradesh, which has reported a high volume of complaints, has imposed “liquidated damages” ranging from 0.1% to 10% in 113 of the 119 cases where contractors were found at fault. In six additional cases, contractors saw their scope of work reduced significantly — affecting projects covering 43 to 212 villages.
Action against 62 govt officials, 9 FIRs filed
Providing a detailed update on actions taken so far, the official told IE that out of 36 states and Union Territories, 32 have submitted status reports. Twenty of them, including Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kerala, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, have reported a total of 607 cases of irregularities.
Action has been initiated against 62 government officials, 969 contractors and 153 third-party inspection agencies (TPIAs), the official added. Nine FIRs have been registered targeting 20 officials, 10 contractors, and one TPIA. The crackdown has so far resulted in the arrest of a former minister, 10 officials and eight contractors.
Twelve states and Union Territories, however, including Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, and several northeastern and island territories, have reported no cases so far, providing “nil” status updates.
