PM Modi Freezes Jal Jeevan Funds: Assam Among Seven States Penalised for Non-Functional Taps

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed an immediate halt to fresh funding under the Jal Jeevan Mission after field inspections revealed that millions of households declared “connected” are still not receiving regular drinking water, despite official claims of 100% coverage in many states.

The decision comes after intensive on-ground verifications between 2022 and 2024 showed that 14–16% of reported tap connections across the country remain non-functional. The flagship programme, launched in 2019, has so far cost over ₹4.33 lakh crore against the original estimate of ₹3.6 lakh crore and claims to have provided infrastructure to 19.36 crore rural households.

The Centre has imposed penalties totalling ₹129.27 crore on seven states for financial irregularities, poor quality and procedural violations, and has already recovered ₹12.95 crore. Gujarat faces the highest recovery demand of ₹120.65 crore, followed by Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Tripura, Assam and Tamil Nadu.

Assam is among 20 states and Union Territories where serious discrepancies were confirmed. Senior Central Nodal Officers carried out physical checks, following which the state submitted its action-taken report.

“No further funds will be released to any state until every reported connection actually delivers water and all pending complaints are resolved,” a senior official quoted the Prime Minister as saying.

In a parallel crackdown, the government has initiated disciplinary or legal proceedings in 607 cases involving 62 public officials, 969 contractors and 153 third-party inspection agencies. Nine FIRs have been registered, leading to the arrest of one former minister, ten government officials and eight contractors.

Officials pointed to weak operation and maintenance mechanisms—especially in areas where gram panchayats lack technical expertise—as the primary reason for the gap between infrastructure creation and actual water supply. States with robust local governance, such as Kerala, have recorded significantly better functionality rates.

Although Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced extension of the mission until 2028 in this year’s Budget, sources said release of additional funds will remain frozen until states prove a sustained, verifiable water supply rather than mere installation of taps.

All 32 states and Union Territories have now submitted updated compliance reports, with future allocations to be strictly linked to on-ground performance and transparency.

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