<p>Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has long argued that the state is short-changed by the Centre in the allocation of funds. However, the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), tabled in the Legislative Assembly, tells an uncomfortable story: when it comes to the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), the state has struggled to spend even what it receives. This warrants close attention from Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge, given his department’s central role in the scheme’s implementation. </p><p>Water is not a discretionary welfare measure; it is a basic right. The JJM’s promise – universal functional household tap connections – was therefore not merely an infrastructure target but a social contract. Between 2019 and 2024, during the BJP and Congress rule, Karnataka received only about 45% of the Rs 24,819 crore allocated by the Centre, largely because it failed to utilise funds on time or submit utilisation certificates promptly. This indicates that the problem is structural, transcending party lines.</p>.<p>The consequences are visible. The state achieved only 66% of its targeted household tap connections by late 2024. Delays in tendering, projects awarded without securing land, and even works abandoned after incurring expenditure point to systemic lapses. Equally worrying are concerns over sustainability and quality. </p>.<p>The state has continued to rely on groundwater, while spending on water quality monitoring fell sharply over the audit period. Instances of inflated reporting – villages declared fully covered despite incomplete works – further erode credibility. Recent reports of over 3,100 villages receiving chemically contaminated water only reinforce the CAG’s findings. That nearly 10% of tested samples show contamination, and that testing often follows disease outbreaks rather than preventing them, reveals a troubling data vacuum in public health oversight. </p>.<p>Yet, the audit is not without its positives. The expansion of tap connections has reduced the daily drudgery for rural women and contributed to lower dropout rates among girls in schools. These gains underline what effective implementation can achieve, and what is being lost due to poor governance.</p>.<p>The failings highlight a lack of financial discipline. Karnataka’s well-documented ‘March rush’, where up to 40% of capital expenditure is pushed through in the final month, encourages hasty spending over thoughtful execution. </p>.<p>This demands urgent course correction. The state should institutionalise outcome-based budgeting, linking allocations to measurable results rather than mere expenditure. Karnataka’s grievance against the Centre will carry weight only when it demonstrates credibility in utilising what it already has. There can be no excuse for failure on something as fundamental as drinking water.</p>
<p>Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has long argued that the state is short-changed by the Centre in the allocation of funds. However, the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), tabled in the Legislative Assembly, tells an uncomfortable story: when it comes to the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), the state has struggled to spend even what it receives. This warrants close attention from Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge, given his department’s central role in the scheme’s implementation. </p><p>Water is not a discretionary welfare measure; it is a basic right. The JJM’s promise – universal functional household tap connections – was therefore not merely an infrastructure target but a social contract. Between 2019 and 2024, during the BJP and Congress rule, Karnataka received only about 45% of the Rs 24,819 crore allocated by the Centre, largely because it failed to utilise funds on time or submit utilisation certificates promptly. This indicates that the problem is structural, transcending party lines.</p>.<p>The consequences are visible. The state achieved only 66% of its targeted household tap connections by late 2024. Delays in tendering, projects awarded without securing land, and even works abandoned after incurring expenditure point to systemic lapses. Equally worrying are concerns over sustainability and quality. </p>.<p>The state has continued to rely on groundwater, while spending on water quality monitoring fell sharply over the audit period. Instances of inflated reporting – villages declared fully covered despite incomplete works – further erode credibility. Recent reports of over 3,100 villages receiving chemically contaminated water only reinforce the CAG’s findings. That nearly 10% of tested samples show contamination, and that testing often follows disease outbreaks rather than preventing them, reveals a troubling data vacuum in public health oversight. </p>.<p>Yet, the audit is not without its positives. The expansion of tap connections has reduced the daily drudgery for rural women and contributed to lower dropout rates among girls in schools. These gains underline what effective implementation can achieve, and what is being lost due to poor governance.</p>.<p>The failings highlight a lack of financial discipline. Karnataka’s well-documented ‘March rush’, where up to 40% of capital expenditure is pushed through in the final month, encourages hasty spending over thoughtful execution. </p>.<p>This demands urgent course correction. The state should institutionalise outcome-based budgeting, linking allocations to measurable results rather than mere expenditure. Karnataka’s grievance against the Centre will carry weight only when it demonstrates credibility in utilising what it already has. There can be no excuse for failure on something as fundamental as drinking water.</p>
