States with 'poor show' may face fund cut: Shekhawat

New Delhi: In a move aimed at creating a "healthy competition" among the states for better implementation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship Jal Jeevan Mission, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Tuesday warned the states with "poor show" in the implementation of Har Ghar Jal Yojna that the funds allocated to them would be transferred to other performing states.

The Union Minister unveiled his "carrot and stick" policy to give a boost to implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission across the county during a review meeting with state ministers and officials in-charge of water departments. Notably, the scheme aims to provide tap water connection to all rural household by 2024.

While talking to reporters about the findings of the review meeting, Shekhawat said, "West Bengal, whose performance over the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission was termed as "dismal" by the ministry last week, did not attend the meeting."

Haryana CM ML Khattar and Tripura CM Biplab Deb were present at the meeting.

"Our political commitments could be different but the enthusiasm the states have shown in implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission is extraordinary," he said.

Shekhawat said that since the mission was launched in August last year, 2.55 crore households have been provided tap water connections. "Despite the pandemic, states have performed well," he said, adding that Goa has already achieved the target of providing tap water connections to all rural household.

"Telangana, Puducherry, Gujarat, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh are among the states that have shown a good pace in implementation of the mission," he said.

"The 15th Finance Commission has allocated Rs 30,375 crore as 'tied grant' in 2020-21 for critical sectors like supply of drinking water, rain water harvesting and water recycling. Rural local bodies are being urged to utilise the grant on water and sanitation activities in villages," the minister said.

The total mission outlay is Rs 3.6 lakh crore, of which the central share is 2.08 lakh crore.

Hailing the performance of Delhi government, Shekhawat admitted that even though there are ideological and political differences with the Delhi government, the state had performed better.