HC asks Jal Jeevan Mission chief to explain use of 536 cr funds

Raipur: The Chhattisgarh high court has directed the mission director of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to file a personalaffidavitregardingthe receipt andutilisationof central funds worth Rs 536.53 crore released for the state.A division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal issued the order while hearing asuomotu public interest litigation (PIL) onMonday. The court has scheduled the matter for further monitoring on May 7.During the proceedings, counsel for the Union of Indiasubmitteda letter dated April 11 from the under secretary, Government of India. The letterstatedthat the Union Cabinethas extendedthe Jal Jeevan Mission until December 2028 with an increased outlay. This restructured phase, JJM 2.0, focuses on structural reforms in the rural drinking water supply sector.The Centre informed the court that it considered the Chhattisgarh government's proposalsubmittedin March 2026 and releasedRs536.53 crore to the state for thefinancial year2025-26, following the JJM 2.0 operational guidelines. The Union government also noted that the state maysubmitfurther proposals for fund release in the currentfinancial year,2026-27.The court has sought clarification from the Mission Director, JJM, PHE Department, Nava Raipur, on whether the state has received the released amount and the specific actions taken under the mission.