The opposition parties in Rajya Sabha questioned Narendra Modi government’s claim to provide tap water to every household by 2024 under the Jal Jeevan Mission, claiming that so far the government has very little to show for it.
Opening the debate, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said Ministry of Jal Shakti, which was ambitiously carved out by bringing various departments under one head, has not been able to utilise the allocated funds for different projects.
Addressing the Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekawat, Mr Singh said, “The way your Ministry is working I don't think you have control over it. The recommendations of the standing committee observed non-utilisation of funds, no monitoring of ongoing projects, incomplete projects and cost overruns.”
Mr Shekawat is slated to reply to the debate on Tuesday.
Mr. Singh referring to recently tabled standing committee report on the Ministry said, “In Jal Jeevan Mission, you could not spend the ₹2,436 crore allocated funds in 2018-19. Similarly in 2019-20, you could not spend ₹4,631 crore in 2019-20."
He also stated, “I congratulate your resolve to provide tap water to all by 2024. But I don't think you would deliver and spend ₹60,000 crore allocated for that. You don't have a shelf of projects (projects pipeline to execute this plan)... Water is going to be a big issue in the coming days.”
Mr Singh pointed out that the Swachh Bharat Mission also has met the same fate. The Ministry, he said, could not spend ₹10,683 crore in 2018-19 and ₹10,475 crore in 2019-20, he told the House.
“What kind of government you are running. I am unable to understand,” the veteran leader said.
Speaking later, another Congress leader Shakti Sinh Gohil pointed out that Pradhan Mantri Krishi Seenchayi Yojana, the government’s mission for irrigation, which was launched in 2015, still has 58 unfinished projects more than six years later.
In 2015, Mr Gohil pointed out that ₹20,000 crore were allocated to Namami Gange project, to clean Ganga river, but so-far only ₹12,324 crore has been released by the government in over the last six years.
Even NDA allies appeared skeptical about the Ministry’s performance. JD (U) leader R.C.P. Singh said every year infrastructure and crops are destroyed in North Bihar.
“I would request the Centre that the till the time an agreement with Nepal on building the dam can be finalized, Bihar should be given additional ₹30-40,000 crore annually to tide over,” he said. He further added that Bihar has already provided tap water to each and every household in the State and the state government should be adequately compensated for it.
