In order to realize the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi of providing tap water to every rural household, the Central Government has allocated Rs.10,870.50 crore to Uttar Pradesh in the current financial year 2021-22, under the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’.

In the year 2019-20, this amount of grant to Uttar Pradesh was Rs 1,206 crore, which was increased to Rs 2,571 crore in 2020-21. Thus, the central grant received by Uttar Pradesh under ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ this year is four times more as compared to last year.

The Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in his last meeting with the Chief Minister of the State, had assured that there would be no shortage of funds for providing tap water to every household under the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’.

The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh has also assured Mr Shekhawat that his government will provide tap water connections to every rural household in the state before the end of 2024, as announced by the Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi.

In Uttar Pradesh, 2.63 crore families live in 97 thousand villages, out of which 30.04 lakh households (ie 11.41%) have tap water connection. Before the announcement of ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ in Uttar Pradesh, only a little over 5 lakh, that is, only 2% of the households had tap water connection.

Thus, as a result of continuous efforts during the last 21 months alone, 24.89 lakh more households (9.45%) were provided with new tap water connections in the State. Despite this, about 2.33 crore rural households in Uttar Pradesh are yet to have tap connections.

In the year 2020-21, the central grant to Uttar Pradesh under the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ was Rs 2,571 crore. With an opening balance of Rs 777 crore, the state had a solid fund of Rs 3,348 crore from the central allocation. But the state government could utilize only Rs 2,053 crore out of the available funds.

In a recent letter to the Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh, Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat called for further speedy progress of ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ in the state and at least one of the families still deprived of tap connections in Uttar Pradesh.

One-third, ie 78 lakh rural households, have been urged to provide tap water connections in this financial year.

Shri Shekhawat has also advised the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh to start work on the ground for drinking water supply projects in more than 60 thousand villages of the state this year.

Union Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in his letter, has also been requested to expedite the work of water supply projects in Bundelkhand and Vindhyachal and to review their implementation immediately at the Chief Minister’s level.

Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has also urged for special emphasis on projects in both these areas.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, in February 2019 for rural areas of Bundelkhand (7 districts: Jhansi, Mahoba, Lalitpur, Jalaun, Hamirpur, Banda and Chitrakoot), and in November last year for Mirzapur and Sonbhadra districts of Vindhyachal region the foundation stone of the projects was laid.

With the completion of these projects, 17.48 lakh houses in 6,742 villages and more than 1.5 crore people of these areas will be benefited.

News Source: PIB.GOV.IN