West Bengal Government to Probe Alleged Misuse of Jal Jeevan Mission Funds

PTI, July 29, 2026, Malda: Alleging large-scale irregularities in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) during the previous state administration, West Bengal Minister of State for Public Health Engineering Bhaskar Bhattacharya on Tuesday said those responsible for the alleged misuse of central funds would be identified and brought to justice.

Speaking after reviewing the progress of the Jal Jeevan Mission in Malda, the minister claimed that while several other states have completed nearly 70 per cent of the scheme, only around 15 per cent of the work had been executed in West Bengal under the earlier government.

He alleged that there was no proper record of fund allocation or expenditure for the project. Even files are missing from the respective departments.

"The Jal Jeevan Mission is a vital scheme aimed at providing safe drinking water to every rural household. Unfortunately, the previous government failed to implement it properly. There is no clear account of how the funds were allocated or spent," Bhattacharya told reporters.

He further alleged that central funds meant for the project had been misused and said the government had already initiated the process of identifying those involved.

"Money meant for the people cannot be allowed to disappear. We are identifying every individual responsible for the irregularities. No one found guilty will be spared," the minister said.

Bhattacharya also stressed that the present government is committed to ensuring transparency and accelerating the implementation of the drinking water scheme across the state.

He directed Malda officials to monitor 79 ongoing projects closely and ensure that work is completed within the stipulated time frame without compromising quality by December on a priority basis.

MLAs, senior officials of the district administration and the Public Health Engineering Department attended the review meeting and discussed the status of ongoing projects, pending works and future targets in Malda district.

The minister expressed confidence that the pace of implementation would improve significantly in the coming months under strict monitoring.