Karnataka's Rural Water Mission in Jeopardy: Minister Seeks Central Funds
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Bengaluru, Karnataka - The state government is facing a crisis in its rural water mission, Jal Jeevan Mission, as it struggles to access central funds. Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister, Priyank Kharge, has written to Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil, urging the Centre to release its pending share to ensure timely completion of the project and provide safe drinking water to rural households. According to Kharge, the state has made significant progress in implementing the mission, with over 86% of rural households already connected to safe drinking water. However, the Centre's delayed release of funds is threatening to stall the project. The state has allocated ₹11,050 crore for the project in the current financial year, but the Centre has yet to release its share. The Karnataka government has disbursed ₹1,500 crore to mitigate potential delays, but bills worth ₹1,700 crore are pending for payment, and ₹2,600 crore are in the pipeline. If the Centre fails to release the funds, the project may slow down or even stall, putting the progress of the mission at risk. Kharge warned that contractors are already demobilizing and downsizing manpower due to the delay, which is severely hampering the progress of work. He urged the Centre to release the pending funds expeditiously to ensure the timely completion of the project and provide safe drinking water to rural households. The Jal Jeevan Mission has made significant progress since its inception, with a total expenditure of ₹35,698.58 crore against an approved cost of ₹69,487.60 crore. However, the Centre's delayed release of funds is threatening to undermine the mission's success.
