House panel probing Jal Jeevan Mission holds third meeting

Srinagar, Jul 8: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly’s House Committee probing alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) held its third meeting on Tuesday, with the panel confirming that the Jal Shakti Department has submitted documentation related to the schemes.

“Yes, we held the meeting today. It is an ongoing process and everything is going smoothly. The department has already submitted its record,” said committee chairperson Justice (Retd.) Hasnain Masoodi, who is also a legislator. The department was required to submit records for 3,253 schemes under the centrally sponsored water supply program.

An official said that following the submission of documents, the committee will begin on-the-spot inspections along with Jal Shakti officials. The committee, which includes legislators Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, Altaf Ahmad Wani (Kaloo), Ali Mohammad Dar and Tanveer Sadiq, had previously convened on May 22 and June 20 in Srinagar to review preliminary records. The probe was initiated after legislators raised concerns during the 2025–26 budget session about alleged financial irregularities and inflated project claims under the scheme. On July 4, the panel invited complaints and information from the public, whistleblowers, and stakeholders. It has sought year-wise details of financial allocations and expenditures, technical and administrative sanctions, project reports, tender documents, and bidding papers from the department.

Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2019, the Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide functional tap water connections to every rural household by 2024. In Jammu and Kashmir alone, spending under the scheme has exceeded Rs 7,000 crore.

The investigation gained momentum following claims by former IAS officer Ashok Parmar, who alleged a Rs 13,000 crore scam under the JJM. His revelations prompted political parties, including the Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to demand a thorough inquiry. Officials said a comprehensive report will be made public after the committee completes scrutiny of all documents.