A parliamentary standing committee has expressed concern that in several large states, less than 40 per cent of rural households have a functional household tap connection (FHTC). The committee also expressed disappointment regarding under-utilisation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) funds, saying this would deprive targeted beneficiaries of access to safe and clean potable water at their homes. The Centre had announced JJM in August 2019 with the aim of providing drinking water to all rural households in the country by 2024. “As on date, out of 19.18 crore, 8.96 crore (46.48%) rural households have access to clean potable water supply at their homes,” the Standing Committee on Water Resources, headed by BJP member Sanjay Jaiswal, said in a report tabled in Lok Sabha on Wednesday. “The Committee, however, expresses concern over the plight of bigger states like Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu which are providing below 40% FHTCs to their households,” the report said. The panel expressed appreciation that states and Union Territories like Haryana, Telangana, Goa, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Puducherry have achieved 100 per cent target of providing tap water connections to households, while states like Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat have achieved more than 90 per cent household coverage, and are “expected” to achieve 100 per cent coverage “very soon”. Regarding under-utilisation of JJM funds, the report said, “.During the fiscal year 2021-22, under Jal Jeevan Mission, Rs 50,011 crore was allocated at BE (budget estimate) stage which was reduced to Rs 45,011 crore at RE (revised estimate) stage, while the actual expenditure incurred was only Rs 28,238 crore.” The utilisation of the fund was even lower in some states. According to the report, states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have utilised less than 25 per cent of central allocation. The report said the committee was “dismayed” about the under-utilisation of funds, “which clearly indicates lack of financial prudence and fiscal discipline, thus, adversely affecting the implementation and monitoring of the programme as a whole.”
