House panel formed to investigate irregularities in Jal Jeevan Mission
Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather on Saturday announced the formation of a House committee to investigate the alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in the Union Territory.
The Speaker noted that there had been consistent demands from several legislators for the constitution of a House committee since the beginning of the Budget session, seeking an inquiry into the alleged misappropriation of funds under the mission. “The House is supreme, and there is no harm in the formation of a House committee to probe the alleged irregularities in JJM,” Rather stated.
National Conference (NC) MLA Tanvir Sadiq also supported the formation of a House panel, demanding a thorough investigation into the matter. “People are alleging that it is a fraud. So, people have the right to know where the money was spent. This panel will clear everything,” Sadiq said.
However, as the Speaker announced the formation of the House panel, Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma called for a debate to be held before the committee’s formation. Speaker Rather, in response, said that the issue had already been under discussion since the morning.
Many legislators have claimed that pipes worth crores of rupees were purchased, only to be dumped in villages without being installed. They have been pressing for a financial probe into the irregularities in the mission’s implementation.
Although allegations of a scam were raised in the Assembly earlier this month, the issue was first highlighted by Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Ashok Parmar of the erstwhile J&K cadre in 2023, before he retired. Opposition parties in the Valley criticised the administration of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, accusing it of punishing Parmar for raising the issue and transferring him instead of investigating the scam. In 2023, the J&K Government denied any allegations of a scam or financial irregularity in the execution of the Jal Jeevan Mission.
