Jal Jeevan: Karnataka pulled up for slow progress

According to sources, Union Minister Shekhawat was unhappy with the pace at which Karnataka was implementing the project

Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekawat on Tuesday is learnt to have pulled up the state government for “under-performance” in the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), which seeks to provide functional tap water connections to every rural household.

According to sources, Shekhawat was unhappy with the pace at which Karnataka was implementing the project.

Karnataka has 91.19 lakh rural households, of which the government has covered about 30 lakh households at present. While the JJM deadline is 2024, it has been advanced to 2023 in Karnataka’s case. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has already written to the Centre seeking time till 2024.

Speaking to media persons after the meeting, Yediyurappa acknowledged the slow pace of works.

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“The state has been unable to meet the target set under the project for tap water connections to households in rural Karnataka. The government will make efforts to cover 25 lakh households with tap water connections at the earliest,” he said.

Meanwhile, Shekawat asked Karnataka to ensure that the project was implemented in a time-bound manner. He advised the state to prioritise the aspirational districts (as identified by NITI Ayog) Yadgir and Raichur and provide tap water connections here at the earliest.

According to an official release, the state government aims to provide 25.17 lakh connections in the current fiscal, followed by 27.15 lakh in 2022-23 and the remaining 10.72 lakh by December 2023.