GUWAHATI: The Centre has expressed concern over the slow progress of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in Mizoram urging the state to plan properly to achieve the goals under the mission within a specific timeframe.
JJM aims to provide potable drinking water to every rural household through Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) by 2024.
Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in a letter to Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga, stressed on proper planning with focus on retrofitting/ augmentation of existing water supply systems to provide tap connections to the remaining households.
The Union minister urged the chief minister to focus on taking up work immediately in a ‘campaign mode’ in 655 villages reported to have existing piped water supply schemes.
“Priority is to be given to saturation of villages in aspirational districts, SC/ST dominant villages/ habitations and villages covered under Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana,” Shekhawat said.
The Union minister mentioned that under Jal Jeevan Mission, funds are provided by Centre based on the output in terms of household tap connections provided and the utilisation of available funds.
Against the target of providing tap connections to 23,525 households in the year 2019-20, 15,878 tap connections were provided. Mizoram was allocated Rs 39.87 crore in 2019-20 and with performance grant, Rs 68.05 crore was released, out of which the state could only spend Rs 37.41 crore, leaving an unspent balance of Rs 30.78 crore, an official statement said.
The allocation for Mizoram has been increased to Rs 79.30 crore in 2020-21, and with opening balance of Rs 30.78 crore, the state has assured availability of Rs 110.08 crore of central funds.
With matching state share, Mizoram will have Rs 122.30 crore during 2020-21 for implementation of JJM.
Shekhawat stressed that providing potable water to every rural household is a national priority and the state should make efforts to accomplish the goal in time-bound manner.
Emphasising on the importance of water sources for long-term sustainability of water supply systems, the Union minister advised strengthening of existing drinking water sources for long-term sustainability of drinking water supply systems.
“The planning should be done at the village level and Village Action Plan for every village is to be prepared by dovetailing all available resources by convergence of different programmes,” he said.
He further assured the Mizoram chief minister of full support to make the state a “100 per cent FHTCs state” by December, 2022 and intended to discuss planning and implementation of JJM with the chief minister through video conference soon.