Maharashtra’s push to expand rural tap water access has hit a financial hurdle.
The state government told the legislature on Friday that it has not received central funds for the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) since October 2024 and has been relying on its own resources to continue ongoing work.
The disclosure came in a written reply during the winter session, where the government said the pause in central funding has slowed the pace of several projects.
JJM aims to provide functional tap water connections to every rural household, ensuring safe drinking water across the country.
According to Water Supply and Sanitation Department Minister Gulabrao Patil, a total of 51,560 schemes have been sanctioned under the programme, and 25,429 of these are still underway.
He informed the Lower House that the state has provided Rs 2,483.58 crore in 2024–25 and Rs 2,103.25 crore in the current fiscal year to keep these works moving.
The reply noted that delays were tied to multiple factors, lack of land, resistance from local residents, permissions required from various departments, and contractor-related issues.
The government said 67 contractors have been blacklisted and fined Rs 12.8 crore in schemes handled by different Zilla Parishads. Additionally, contracts of 188 contractors have been cancelled.
Show-cause notices have also been issued across the administrative chain: 76 project management consultants, 17 third-party inspection authorities, 70 junior engineers, 149 deputy engineers, and 12 executive engineers.
The statement added that seven engineers have been suspended.
In schemes undertaken through Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran, 233 contractors have been fined Rs 55.84 crore, underscoring the scale of action the state has taken to address delays and lapses.