JNM Journalist Hardeep Jamwal, Jammu
In Jammu and Kashmir, the Central Government’s ambitious scheme—the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)—has now come under a cloud of serious scrutiny. Revelations emerging from an ongoing investigation have sent shockwaves across the entire Union Territory. According to sources, more than 600 projects under the mission were falsely recorded as “completed” on paper, yet they were found to have absolutely no physical existence on the ground. Furthermore, payments were released for over 400 schemes without any work having even commenced, while more than 900 projects remain unfinished to this day.
The entire matter is currently being investigated by a committee constituted under the chairmanship of retired Justice and MLA Hasnain Masoodi. It is reported that the committee is likely to submit its report to the Jammu and Kashmir government within the next week. Once the investigation report is released, there is a strong possibility that a large-scale scam within the Jal Jeevan Mission will be exposed.
According to sources, a total of 3,200 projects were sanctioned under the Jal Jeevan Mission in Jammu and Kashmir. Of these, approximately 1,800 projects fall within the Kashmir division and 1,400 within the Jammu division. However, the actual situation on the ground is described as extremely alarming. In many villages, pipelines remain incomplete, overhead water tanks lie empty, and water is failing to reach people’s homes.
Amidst the scorching summer heat, conditions in rural areas are deteriorating further. Residents of numerous villages are still compelled to fetch water from natural springs, wells, and distant water sources. Villagers lament that the government had promised to fulfill the dream of providing “tap water to every home,” yet in reality, people continue to struggle desperately for even a single drop of water.
The issue of alleged irregularities and unfinished works within the Jal Jeevan Mission was also raised vociferously during the budget session of the Legislative Assembly. The opposition and several legislators had raised questions as to why, despite the expenditure of crores of rupees, people were still not receiving water. Consequently, the tenure of the inquiry committee was extended until May 31.
Prior to this, allegations of a scam amounting to approximately ₹13,000 crore within the Jal Jeevan Mission had already surfaced. It was alleged that substantial sums were shown as spent on paper, whereas no actual work was executed on the ground. This entire matter was exposed by IAS officer Ashok Parmar, following which the then Managing Director (MD) of the JJM had to be removed from his post. Currently, a departmental inquiry is also underway, and it is anticipated that the new investigation report could contain several major revelations.
If the allegations are substantiated during the inquiry, this could be regarded as one of the largest development-related scams in Jammu and Kashmir. All eyes are now fixed on the government and the inquiry committee’s final report to see what action is ultimately taken against those responsible for this alleged scam.
