Min: ‘Centre withheld Jal Jeevan funds to Bengal since Aug 2024’

Kolkata: State Public Health Engineering (PHE) minister Pulak Roy, on Wednesday, expressed concern over the continued deprivation of Central funds for the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) — a flagship scheme aimed at providing safe and adequate drinking water to every rural household through Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs).

Speaking in the state Assembly, Roy said: “We have not received the Central share under JJM since August 13 last year. There has been no allocation from the Centre for the 2025–26 fiscal so far.” He added that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has stepped in to prevent disruption, allocating funds from the state exchequer to ensure uninterrupted progress.

In the 2024-25 financial year, the state has already spent Rs 4,557.45 crore, along with an additional Rs 1,003.62 crore for operations and maintenance, to continue the scheme despite the shortfall in Central funding.

The total allocation for JJM in 2024–25 was Rs 10,100 crore, with the Centre’s share pegged at Rs 5,049.98 crore — accounting for 50 per cent of the project cost. However, Roy said the Centre has released only Rs 2,524.99 crore, which is just half of its committed share.

“While it was initially announced that the project would conclude by December 2024, this year’s Union Budget extended it till 2028,” Roy pointed out. He also noted that delays in fund release have slowed progress in some regions.

Several BJP legislators raised supplementary questions regarding the status of Fecal Sludge Treatment Plants (FSTPs) and deadlines for completion in their constituencies. In response, Roy urged them to accompany him to Delhi and lobby their central leadership to release Bengal’s rightful share, which would help expedite project execution across the state.

According to PHE department estimates, the JJM project in Bengal aims to cover 1.73 crore rural households, of which 98.16 lakh have already received tap connections.