Over 70% of Central Funds Allocated For Jal Jeevan Mission Not Utilised in Rajasthan: CAG Report

New Delhi: More than 70% of central funds allocated to Rajasthan under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) has not been utilised, a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has revealed. The report has also flagged the scheme has only met 49.61% of its targeted 96,06,728 households, while its implementation has been marred by irregular payments, poor quality checks, procedural lapses as well as an expenditure of Rs 5.89 crore being spent on foundation-laying ceremony.

The audit conducted during the period from August 2019 to March 2024 found underutilisation of central funds led to a short release of Rs 29,145.92 crore i.e. 70.38% of the central share to the state, against the total allocation of Rs 41,414.24 crore of the central share. 

The audit also found instances of inadmissible expenses on the salary of regular staff and the Shilanyas or foundation laying ceremony amounting to Rs 5.89 crore, the report said.

While the flagship scheme launched on August 15, 2019 to provide Functional Household Tap Connections to every rural household, as of January 7, 2025 it has only covered about 49% i.e a total of 47,65,980 households against its target of 96,06,728 households. The scheme has still not covered 50.39% of its target, with 48,40,748 households remaining outside its coverage.

The report also found payment irregularities with the audit revealing payments of Rs 7.07 crore based on fabricated/missing/fake/cancelled/reused or other contractors’ invoices across selected JJM works. 

Further Rs 8.32 lakh was found to have been paid for already existing Functional Household Tap Connections made in selected villages.

The report said that in all 26 selected Regional Water Supply Schemes, an amount of Rs 122.31 crore was paid (as of December 2024) to the contractors without following the provision of third-party inspection and certification.

The audit found that in the period from 2019 to 2025 (up to January 20, 2025) only 8.31% or Rs 40.39 crore was spent on Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance activities while Rs 445.84 crore (91.69 per cent) remained unspent.

The report added that state level laboratories were not equipped to test under the mandated parameters of uniform drinking water quality.

"The State Level Laboratories could test only 41 out of the 78 parameters mandated under the ‘Uniform Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Protocol’, and a facility for testing radioactive and virological parameters was also not available there," the report said.

"The District Level Laboratories, in selected districts, were equipped to test only 9 to 22 parameters against the requirement to test at least 34 water quality parameters. No Block Level Laboratory was functional as on July 2024 despite spending Rs 2.94 crore. There was a significant vacancy of 102 posts (45.74 per cent) in all laboratories of the State (as of February 2024)."

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