Centre unlocks over Rs 1.5K crore for 5 states under JJM 2.0 after reform-linked MoUs
New Delhi: The Union Jal Shakti Ministry has released Rs 1,561.53 crore for five states under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0 for the financial year 2025–26, following the signing of reform-linked MoUs and the fulfilment of mandatory compliance conditions, an official statement said on Tuesday.
The funds have been allocated as follows: Rs 792.93 crore for Uttar Pradesh, Rs 536.53 crore for Chhattisgarh, Rs 154.02 crore for Madhya Pradesh, Rs 65.31 crore for Odisha, and Rs 12.74 crore for Maharashtra.
The release comes after states committed to key reforms under JJM 2.0, aimed at improving service delivery standards, implementing sustainability measures, and promoting community-led management of rural water supply systems. A structured validation system has been introduced to ensure transparency and accountability. States are required to meet financial, technical, and data compliance benchmarks before funds are released, reflecting a first-of-its-kind performance-based mechanism designed to strengthen outcomes.
So far, 12 states have signed reform-linked MoUs with the National Jal Jeevan Mission under the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation. The Union Cabinet approved JJM 2.0 on March 10, marking a shift from an infrastructure-centric approach to a service delivery model focused on providing a reliable and sustainable piped drinking water supply in rural areas. Under the restructured mission, the total outlay has been enhanced to Rs8.69 lakh crore, with central assistance of Rs 3.59 lakh crore—up from Rs 2.08 lakh crore previously—reflecting an additional central share of Rs 1.51 lakh crore.
On March 13, Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil chaired a meeting with state ministers and officials to discuss the implementation roadmap for JJM 2.0. He urged timely completion of schemes and stronger on-ground monitoring, emphasizing that since water is a state subject, the success of the mission depends on the accountability of state governments in ensuring a reliable tap water supply to rural households.
Launched in 2019, the Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide functional household tap connections (FHTCs) with adequate quantity and prescribed quality of drinking water on a regular basis. At the start of the mission, only 3.23 crore rural households, or 16.7 per cent, had tap water connections. According to the latest data, over 12.59 crore additional households have since been covered, taking the total to around 15.83 crore households, or about 81.8 per cent of rural India.
Under JJM 2.0, the government aims to provide piped water to all 19.36 crore rural households and declare all gram panchayats as “Har Ghar Jal” by December 2028, subject to the establishment of adequate operation and maintenance systems at the village level. The mission’s reform-linked funding approach, performance-based monitoring, and focus on sustainability and service delivery mark a significant step toward ensuring that every rural household has access to safe and reliable drinking water.
