Union Government Urges Mizoram to Increase Pace on Jal Jeevan Mission

Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in his letter to the Chief Minister of Mizoram has urged to increase the pace at which the Jal Jeevan Mission is being implemented in the state. This is in a series of letters that the Minister has written to different Chief Ministers like Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, and West Bengal.

The scheme is being promoted by the Union Government on a large scale as it aims to provide Functional Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in his letter to the Chief Minister of Mizoram has urged to increase the pace at which the Jal Jeevan Mission is being implemented in the state. This is in a series of letters that the Minister has written to different Chief Ministers like Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, and West Bengal. The scheme is being promoted by the Union Government on a large scale as it aims to provide Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) to every household by 2024.

The state had set the target of providing 23,525 households with connections in the year 2019-20 but was only able to cover 15,878 households. The state was provided with Rs. 39.87 crore in 2019-20 to implement the mission and with the previous unspent amount of the previous year, the total amount was Rs. 68.05crore out of which the state was only able to spend Rs 37.41 crore.

The Minister further informed that the fund allocation for the state has been increased to Rs.79.30 crore and with the unspent balance of Rs. 30.78 crore the total allocation for the next year is Rs. 110.08 crore. The Minister has stated that special importance has to be given to Aspirational Districts, SC, ST dominated villages and areas covered under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana.

The 15th Finance Commission Grant to PRIs has allocated Rs.93 crore to the sate out of which it is mandatory to spend 50% of the amount on water supply and sanitation. The Minister said that since the COVID-19 crisis it is more important for people to observe Social Distancing, installations of taps in every household will stop gathering of a large number of people at a single water source.

The Minister has assured that the state to reach the target of providing 100& FHTCs by 2022 and intends to work with the state government on the planning and implementation of this scheme. Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) to every household by 2024.

The state had set the target of providing 23,525 households with connections in the year 2019-20 but was only able to cover 15,878 households. The state was provided with Rs. 39.87 crore in 2019-20 to implement the mission and with the previous unspent amount of the previous year, the total amount was Rs. 68.05crore out of which the state was only able to spend Rs 37.41 crore.

The Minister further informed that the fund allocation for the state has been increased to Rs.79.30 crore and with the unspent balance of Rs. 30.78 crore the total allocation for the next year is Rs. 110.08 crore. The Minister has stated that special importance has to be given to Aspirational Districts, SC, ST dominated villages and areas covered under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana.

The 15th Finance Commission Grant to PRIs has allocated Rs.93 crore to the sate out of which it is mandatory to spend 50% of the amount on water supply and sanitation. The Minister said that since the COVID-19 crisis it is more important for people to observe Social Distancing, installations of taps in every household will stop gathering of a large number of people at a single water source.

The Minister has assured that the state to reach the target of providing 100& FHTCs by 2022 and intends to work with the state government on the planning and implementation of this scheme.