Ranchi, June 2 (IANS) The Jharkhand government took a significant step on Tuesday to ensure tap water supply to every rural household in the state by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre under the Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0.

The MoU was signed at an event in New Delhi between the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Jharkhand government.

Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil, Jharkhand Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister Yogendra Prasad, and senior officials from both the Centre and the state were present.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren joined the programme via video conferencing.

During the event, Soren urged the Centre to release the pending amount of around Rs 6,500 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission at the earliest. He said that since 2019-20, drinking water schemes worth Rs 24,635 crore are being implemented in the state under the mission, including both multi-village and single-village schemes.

He added that about 55 per cent of the projects have been completed so far, while the state has received only 46 per cent of the approved central assistance.

The Chief Minister also pointed out that adequate funds were not released by the Centre during the financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26.

Stressing the need for timely financial support, he said it is essential to maintain the pace of ongoing projects.

Soren further said delays in obtaining no-objection certificates (NOCs) from various central departments and agencies are hindering the timely completion of drinking water projects. He urged the Centre to expedite the process.

Highlighting the work done under the mission, he said the Jharkhand government has appointed ‘Jal Sahiyas’ in villages for operating single-village schemes, who are being paid a monthly honorarium of Rs 2,500. He sought continued support from the Centre for sustaining this arrangement.

He also emphasised the need to include all necessary components in the detailed project reports (DPRs) of future schemes.

Responding to the state’s demands, Union Minister C.R. Patil clarified the Centre’s position, stating that no separate financial assistance would be provided for retrofitting and routine operation and maintenance of water supply schemes. He advised that such expenses could be met using grants allocated to Panchayati Raj institutions under the 16th Finance Commission.

Patil also stressed the importance of effective implementation of schemes and achieving targets within the stipulated timeline.

–IANS

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