Slight increase in JJM allocation, Namami Gange sees budget cut

On January 13, The Indian Express reported that the Centre has decided to slash the JJM allocation to Rs 17,000 crore.

Presenting the Union Budget 2025-26 last year, Sitharaman had announced extension of the JJM till 2028, with “with an enhanced total outlay.” An outlay of Rs 67,000 crore was kept for the JJM in the Union Budget 2025-26. However, The extension of the JJM is yet to be approved by the government.

According to a status report of the Implementation of Budget Announcements 2025-26 tabled along the budget documents in Lok Sabha on Sunday, “Proposal for continuation of JJM with an enhanced total outlay is under active consideration of the Department.”

Like the JJM and Namami Gange, the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin also saw a cut in budget at the revised stage. In the budgetary estimates 2025-26, an amount of Rs 7192.00 was allocated but it was slashed to Rs 6,000 crore at the RE stage. The Finance Minister, however, has allocated Rs 7,192 crore for the next financial year 2026-27.

Launched in August, 2019, the JJM was aimed at providing Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) to provide 55 lpcd (litre per capita per day) drinking water to all rural households in the country by 2024.

Marred with irregularities and corruption, the JJM saw a series of actions during fiscal year 2025-26. In May last year, the Center sent over a hundred teams of officials for the ground inspection of the JJM works. Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed the Jal Shakti Ministry officials to take action against those who have committed irregularities in JJM and to not spare anyone.

On November 10, The Indian Express had reported that action has been taken against at least 596 officials, 822 contractors and 152 Third Party Inspection Agencies (TPIAs) across 15 states and Union Territories following complaints received about financial irregularities and poor quality of work under the Centre’s Jal Jeevan Mission for supplying drinking water through individual tap connections to rural households.