81% of rural households in Scheduled Caste habitations have tap water connections: Government
The Union Cabinet recently approved an additional allocation of Rs 1.51 lakh crore for the initiative till 2028
The government on Thursday told Parliament that out of 215.65 lakh rural households in Scheduled Caste (SCs) dominated habitations, more than 176.42 lakh (81.81%) households have been provided with tap water connection as on date, under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
Similarly, out of 216.43 lakh rural households in Scheduled Tribe (STs) dominated habitations, as on date, more than 162.71 lakh (75.18) households have been provided with tap water connection, it said.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State V Somannna noted that the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) follows a universal approach for coverage of rural households. Further, while allocating the fund under the Mission, 10% weightage has been assigned for rural SC/ST population, so as to prioritize their coverage.
He said a total of 18,790 complaints have been received by states/ UTs from different sources such as media reports, suo-moto cognizance, references from public representatives, citizens, grievance portal, among others regarding financial irregularities and poor quality of works under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
Under the leadership of Hon'ble PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji, the Jal Jeevan Mission has become a Jan Andolan, a people’s movement. Hon'ble PM believes in women’s empowerment and grassroots-level participation. Since 2019, our Government has been ensuring that every rural household… pic.twitter.com/oILSdV5Jbr
— V. Somanna (@VSOMANNA_BJP) March 8, 2026
"Action has been taken against 635 departmental officials, 1,020 contractors, and 155 Third Party Inspection Agencies (TPIAs) in this regard. All states/UTs have been advised to ensure that every complaint is duly examined, field verification is carried out promptly, and all required disciplinary, contractual, and legal actions are taken without exception to uphold transparency and accountability of the mission," the minister said.
Months after the Centre launched a crackdown on widespread irregularities in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission, the Union Cabinet recently approved an additional allocation of Rs 1.51 lakh crore for the initiative till 2028 - with digital mapping to ensure “transparency and accountability”.
Hailing the move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said, "The decision marks a major step towards ensuring sustainable and reliable tap water supply for rural households".
“It shifts the focus from only infrastructure creation to citizen-centric service delivery supported by strong local governance and digital monitoring. The move will strengthen water security, improve health outcomes and empower rural communities, especially our Nari Shakti,” he posted on X.
Launched in August 2019, JJM initially aimed to deliver 55 litres per capita per day of drinking water to all rural households by 2024.
In the Union Budget 2025-26, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had allocated Rs 67,000 crore for JJM but this was revised downward to Rs 17,000 crore later.
