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States have stepped up action against corruption and substandard workmanship in drinking water projects under the Centre's flagship Jal Jeevan Mission, imposing penalties of over ₹129 crore on errant contractors, Minister of State for Water V Somanna informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.
According to the minister, six states — Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Gujarat, Assam, Maharashtra and Rajasthan — have reported "significant action" in imposing penalties and initiating recovery proceedings in cases involving financial irregularities and poor-quality work under the scheme.
Launched in 2019, the Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide tap-water connections to all of the country's 193.6 million rural households by the end of 2024. At the time of its launch, only 32 million households had access to tap water. Official data shows that 157.5 million rural households, or 81.36% of the total, have since been covered.
The minister said Uttar Pradesh and Tripura have reported recoveries from contractors on account of damages, while Karnataka and Tripura have made recoveries due to forfeitures. Nearly ₹11 crore has been recovered so far from contractors or agencies involved in engineering works.
All projects under the Jal Jeevan Mission are being verified by third-party agencies to ensure quality standards, Somanna said.
In Uttar Pradesh alone, authorities examined 14,264 complaints received through multiple channels, including suo motu action. Reports have been submitted in 14,212 cases, while inquiries are ongoing in 52 cases. The state has taken action in 434 cases, involving 171 departmental officials, 120 contractors and 143 other stakeholders. The remaining complaints have either been resolved or found to be irrelevant.
According to the minister, six states — Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Gujarat, Assam, Maharashtra and Rajasthan — have reported "significant action" in imposing penalties and initiating recovery proceedings in cases involving financial irregularities and poor-quality work under the scheme.
Launched in 2019, the Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide tap-water connections to all of the country's 193.6 million rural households by the end of 2024. At the time of its launch, only 32 million households had access to tap water. Official data shows that 157.5 million rural households, or 81.36% of the total, have since been covered.
The minister said Uttar Pradesh and Tripura have reported recoveries from contractors on account of damages, while Karnataka and Tripura have made recoveries due to forfeitures. Nearly ₹11 crore has been recovered so far from contractors or agencies involved in engineering works.
All projects under the Jal Jeevan Mission are being verified by third-party agencies to ensure quality standards, Somanna said.
In Uttar Pradesh alone, authorities examined 14,264 complaints received through multiple channels, including suo motu action. Reports have been submitted in 14,212 cases, while inquiries are ongoing in 52 cases. The state has taken action in 434 cases, involving 171 departmental officials, 120 contractors and 143 other stakeholders. The remaining complaints have either been resolved or found to be irrelevant.
