The Crossbill News Desk
A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit has raised serious concerns over the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in Rajasthan, pointing to substantial underutilisation of funds, delays in providing tap connections and several financial and procedural irregularities.
According to the audit report, Rajasthan utilised only a fraction of the central funds available under the scheme between August 2019 and March 2024. Against a central share allocation of Rs 41,414.24 crore, Rs 29,145.92 crore, or 70.38%, was not released to the state because of underutilisation.
The audit also flagged expenditure that it considered inadmissible, including spending on the salaries of regular staff and Rs 5.89 crore on Shilanyas or foundation-laying ceremonies.
The Jal Jeevan Mission, launched on August 15, 2019, aims to provide Functional Household Tap Connections to every rural household. However, the CAG found that by January 7, 2025, only 47,65,980 of the targeted 96,06,728 households had been covered. This translates to 49.61% coverage, leaving 48,40,748 households, or 50.39% of the target, without the intended connection.
Financial irregularities were also detected in the execution of selected JJM works. The audit found that payments amounting to Rs 7.07 crore were made against fabricated, missing, fake, cancelled, reused or otherwise irregular contractors’ invoices. Another Rs 8.32 lakh was paid for Functional Household Tap Connections that already existed in selected villages.
The CAG further found that contractors were paid Rs 122.31 crore, as of December 2024, for 26 selected Regional Water Supply Schemes without complying with the requirement of third-party inspection and certification.
The report also highlighted inadequate spending on water quality monitoring. Between 2019 and January 20, 2025, only Rs 40.39 crore, or 8.31% of the available amount, was spent on Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance, while Rs 445.84 crore, or 91.69%, remained unspent.
The deficiencies extended to the state’s laboratory infrastructure. According to the audit, laboratories lacked the capacity to conduct several tests required under the prescribed drinking water quality standards.
“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 CAG also pointed to serious gaps at the district and block levels.
“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),” the report added.
The audit findings underline that Rajasthan’s implementation of the flagship rural drinking-water programme has faced challenges not only in expanding household coverage but also in financial management, quality assurance, monitoring and institutional capacity.
According to the audit report, Rajasthan utilised only a fraction of the central funds available under the scheme between August 2019 and March 2024. Against a central share allocation of Rs 41,414.24 crore, Rs 29,145.92 crore, or 70.38%, was not released to the state because of underutilisation.
The audit also flagged expenditure that it considered inadmissible, including spending on the salaries of regular staff and Rs 5.89 crore on Shilanyas or foundation-laying ceremonies.
The Jal Jeevan Mission, launched on August 15, 2019, aims to provide Functional Household Tap Connections to every rural household. However, the CAG found that by January 7, 2025, only 47,65,980 of the targeted 96,06,728 households had been covered. This translates to 49.61% coverage, leaving 48,40,748 households, or 50.39% of the target, without the intended connection.
Financial irregularities were also detected in the execution of selected JJM works. The audit found that payments amounting to Rs 7.07 crore were made against fabricated, missing, fake, cancelled, reused or otherwise irregular contractors’ invoices. Another Rs 8.32 lakh was paid for Functional Household Tap Connections that already existed in selected villages.
The CAG further found that contractors were paid Rs 122.31 crore, as of December 2024, for 26 selected Regional Water Supply Schemes without complying with the requirement of third-party inspection and certification.
The report also highlighted inadequate spending on water quality monitoring. Between 2019 and January 20, 2025, only Rs 40.39 crore, or 8.31% of the available amount, was spent on Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance, while Rs 445.84 crore, or 91.69%, remained unspent.
The deficiencies extended to the state’s laboratory infrastructure. According to the audit, laboratories lacked the capacity to conduct several tests required under the prescribed drinking water quality standards.
“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 CAG also pointed to serious gaps at the district and block levels.
“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),” the report added.
The audit findings underline that Rajasthan’s implementation of the flagship rural drinking-water programme has faced challenges not only in expanding household coverage but also in financial management, quality assurance, monitoring and institutional capacity.
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