Jal Jeevan graft crackdown: Action against officials in 15 states & UTs, mainly from UP, Pg1.

Key Highlights:

• Action has been taken against 596 officials, 822 contractors, and 152 Third Party Inspection Agencies (TPIAs) across 15 states and UTs due to complaints about financial irregularities and poor work quality under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
• Uttar Pradesh received the most complaints (14,264), accounting for over 85% of the total.
• The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) directed states to submit reports after deploying nodal officers for ground inspection of JJM schemes.
• An investigation revealed that changes in JJM guidelines led to a Rs 16,839 crore cost escalation for 14,586 schemes.
• The JJM, launched in 2019 to provide tap connections to all rural households by 2024, may continue with enhanced financial support until 2028, pending Union Cabinet approval.

Detailed Insights:

• The JJM aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water to rural households through individual tap connections by 2024, now extended to 2028.
• The investigation into JJM data revealed that changes in guidelines three years prior removed a crucial check on expenditure, leading to a 14.58% increase in costs.
• The DDWS, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, is overseeing the scheme and has been actively seeking reports and updates from states regarding complaints and actions taken.
• States were asked to report on disciplinary actions against Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) officials, contractors, and TPIAs involved in JJM projects.
• Some states like Bihar and Telangana did not share complaint details but have provided tap connections through their own schemes.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM): A central government initiative to provide tap water connections to every rural household by a set deadline.
• Third Party Inspection Agencies (TPIAs): Independent agencies responsible for assessing the quality and progress of projects.
• Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS): The department responsible for overseeing the JJM under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.