New Delhi: The Centre has slapped penalties to the tune of Rs 129.27 crore on seven states, the maximum on Gujarat, for irregularities in the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission following a directive from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to spare no one in the flagship initiative.
The Centre had launched the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in 2019 with the intention to provide tap water connections to every household in the country over a period of five years. The seven states from whom recoveries have been initiated are Tamil Nadu (Rs 3 lakh), Tripura (Rs 1.22 crore), Assam (Rs 5.08 lakh), Maharashtra (Rs 2.02 crore), Karnataka (Rs 1.01 crore) and Rajasthan (Rs 5.34 crore), besides Gujarat.
A senior official said the Centre has initiated proceedings to recover Rs 120.65 crore in penalties in the implementation of the JJM scheme from Gujarat and managed to recover Rs 6.65 crore.
JJM, unveiled with the ambition of transforming rural living conditions, has come under intense scrutiny after discrepancies surfaced in multiple states. In response, the Centre has pushed states to reassess data, revisit contracts, and launch corrective action in cases where numbers appear “too good to be true”.
The fallout has been swift. Penalties, recovery notices, and disciplinary measures now amount to an extraordinary Rs 129 crore, with more states still combing through old files and new complaints.
Officials describe the current moment as “a turning point” — the first time such a large-scale internal audit has resulted in simultaneous action across states.
Senior government sources say Prime Minister Narendra Modi has instructed the Jal Shakti Ministry to take stringent action in all areas where irregularities have been flagged. The Prime Minister has further directed that the Centre must withhold all funds for the mission until the respective state governments initiate action against those involved.
