In Maharashtra, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) highlighted issues with the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) implementation. The audit revealed that 75% of water supply schemes in the state were incomplete between 2019 and 2024. Due to poor planning and revisions, the mission’s expenditure doubled, reaching over Rs 26,400 crore.
The CAG report, covering the period from August 2019 to March 2024, showed that the state’s rural tap water scheme’s initial estimated expenditure of Rs 13,668 crore surged to Rs 27,559.26 crore. This increase was attributed to inadequate planning, survey deficiencies, execution delays, and frequent scheme revisions. Only 24.64% of the 51,560 initiated water supply schemes were completed, with the rest stalled at various stages.
Despite aiming to provide tap connections to 1.46 crore rural households, Maharashtra managed to offer Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) to 1.25 crore households by March 2024. The audit identified 108,000 households excluded from District Action Plans, citing weak planning as a key issue. The CAG also noted deficiencies in village and district action plans, leading to costly mid-course corrections.
To address these challenges, the CAG recommended three key actions to the Maharashtra government. These include improving fund-flow dynamics, enforcing strict timelines for fund utilization, and enhancing regulatory mechanisms to prevent unnecessary expenses. By implementing these recommendations, the state aims to streamline the mission’s progress and financial management.
