Maharashtra says central JJM funds have not come since October 2024.
State has used its own resources to continue 25,000-plus ongoing water schemes.
Contractor blacklisting, fines and delays have slowed project progress.
Maharashtra Says No Central Funds For Jal Jeevan Mission Since Oct 2024, Projects Slow Down
State claims it is using its own budget to keep rural water schemes running as contractor action, delays and penalties mount
Summary
Maharashtra has been running its rural drinking water works with its own resources for more than a year after central funding under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) stopped in October 2024, slowing progress across thousands of schemes, according to PTI.
In a written response tabled in the state assembly during the ongoing winter session, Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Gulabrao Patil said 51,560 schemes have been sanctioned under JJM, with 25,429 still underway. Patil told the Lower House that the state has allocated ₹2,483.58 crore in 2024–25 and another ₹2,103.25 crore this fiscal to keep works moving in the absence of central funds, PTI reported.
The JJM seeks to provide every rural household with a functional tap water connection and ensure access to safe drinking water. But the minister noted that the pace of existing projects has been hit not only by funding gaps but also by land acquisition hurdles, local resistance, pending permissions from various departments and delays by contractors. According to PTI, the state has blacklisted 67 contractors and imposed penalties amounting to ₹12.8 crore across schemes executed by different Zilla Parishads, while contracts with 188 others have been terminated.
The government’s reply added that 76 project management consultants and 17 third-party inspection authorities have been issued show-cause notices. Similar notices went to 70 junior engineers, 149 deputy engineers and 12 executive engineers, and seven engineers have been suspended.
For schemes implemented through the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran, 233 contractors have been fined a total of ₹55.84 crore, the reply said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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