PM cracks whip on JJM irregularities; 7 states to pay Rs 129.27 cr in penalties

New Delhi, Nov 25: 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.
Of the total Rs 129.27 crore in penalties, the government has recovered Rs 12.95 crore so far.
The prime minister has directed strict monitoring of the scheme and adopted zero tolerance to any financial, procedural and quality-related violations. (PTI)