Release pending Rs 1,200 crore Jal Jeevan Mission funds, Deputy CM asks Centre

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri today urged the Central Government to release Rs 1,200 crore pending under the Jal Jeevan Mission. He said that the delay was severely hampering restoration and maintenance of damaged water supply schemes in Himachal Pradesh.

Agnihotri, while addressing a press conference here, said that the Jal Shakti Department had suffered a staggering loss to the tune of Rs 4,150 crore over the past three years due to recurring rain disasters. The overall damage suffered by various departments and to public infrastructure in the state had crossed Rs 2,000 crore during this period.

He said that the state had suffered Rs 2,100 crore losses in 2023, Rs 600 crore in 2024 and Rs 1,450 crore losses till date this year. He added that multiple water supply schemes had been badly damaged during recent rain, especially in Mandi district, where a Rs 100-crore water supply project for the town had been severely affected. Though temporary arrangements had been made, a permanent solution was pending due to the requirement of funds.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that payments to contractors involved in water supply projects had been held up due to the delay in the release of Jal Jeevan Mission funds by the Central Government. He added that he had taken up the matter with Union Ministers and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, he had been informed that a nationwide inquiry into the Jal Jeevan Mission was underway and payments would be released only after its completion. “If the inquiry causes a further delay, it will impact the critical restoration work. We need these funds now,” he added.

Agnihotri also requested the state government to allocate Rs 400 crore for the maintenance of water supply schemes funded by it. He added that the pending water bill payments of previous periods would be exempted, providing relief to consumers.

He said that the state government was systematically replacing old buses with new ones to ensure public safety and comfort. The Congress would launch the "Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod" campaign from Shimla tomorrow, with an aim to gather one lakh signatures by October 15. The grass-roots-level restructuring of the Congress was underway in Himachal Pradesh under the guidance of the party high command, he added.