Mission
Syllabus: GS2/Governance
Context
- The Jammu & Kashmir Assembly’s House Committee is currently probing allegations of irregularities in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in the region.
Background
- During the Budget Session, concerns were raised over the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in Jammu & Kashmir like;
- Use of substandard materials
- Incomplete and abandoned water supply schemes
- Corruption and misuse of public funds
- Failure in providing tap connections despite funds being released
- As a result, a House Committee was established, and it issued a public notice inviting citizens and stakeholders to report malpractices.
| Jal Jeevan Mission – It was launched by the Prime Minister in 2019. – Concerned Ministry: It comes under the Ministry of Jal Shakti. – Aim: To provide tap connections to about 16 crore rural households to achieve saturation coverage by 2028 (earlier 2024). – Mandatory components include: Source sustainability, Greywater management, Water conservation and Rainwater harvesting. – Retrofitting of ongoing and completed schemes to provide FHTCs at a minimum service level of 55 liters per capita per day (lpcd). – Mission Objectives: 1. Empowering Women: Reduces the burden on women of fetching water. Improves health, education, and socio-economic status of women. 2. Ease of Living: Enhances the dignity and quality of life of rural families. – Community 1. Approach:Focus on Information, Education, and Communication (IEC). 2. Aims to create a janandolan (people’s movement) for water. |
What are the Governance Challenges?
- Lack of Transparency and Accountability:
- Absence of robust audit mechanisms.
- Weak convergence between local panchayats and implementing agencies.
- Administrative Capacity Gaps:
- Shortage of trained manpower in remote blocks.
- Poor maintenance of assets post-implementation.
- Political Interference:
- Contractors with political links allegedly bypass due process.
- Quality control is often ignored in favour of cost-cutting.
Way Forward
- Independent Social Audits: Engage NGOs, civil society, and citizen groups for real-time audits and grievance redress.
- Real-time Monitoring Dashboards: Enhance public access to performance data at the panchayat and block level.
- Strengthening Gram Panchayats: Provide technical and financial training to local bodies to manage and maintain infrastructure.
- Expand low-cost water testing facilities to detect contamination early.
Source: IE
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