Guwahati, Oct 6: The Assam Congress on Sunday called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into irregularities in implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) schemes in the state. This demand follows an official order issued by the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department on October 3, which halted the execution of all JJM schemes until a comprehensive review of the current status of both ongoing and completed projects is completed.
Addressing a press conference at his Ghoraamara residence, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Borah highlighted the discrepancies in the progress of JJM schemes, citing the PHE secretary’s letter.
According to Borah, the government has only managed to provide piped water to 23.75 lakh households, far below the target of 63.65 lakh households, pointing to significant issues in both project management and quality assurance. He further alleged that contractors working on these schemes have faced financial difficulties and were forced to pay commissions ranging from 8 to 15 per cent to receive work orders, leading to a compromise in the quality of the work.
Borah’s comments add to growing concerns about the transparency and effectiveness of JJM projects in Assam, where the primary objective is to provide safe and adequate drinking water to every rural household.
“We urge the Chief Minister to order a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in implementing JJM schemes in the state. I do not accuse the Chief Minister of being directly involved in these anomalies but suggest that the Chief Minister may be unaware of the financial mismanagement and administrative issues within the JJM projects,” Borah said.
“We also demand the removal of Jayanta Mallah Baruah, the minister in charge of the JJM, holding him responsible for the mismanagement. If the Chief Minister is not involved, I urge him to take action and remove Baruah from the ministry, as he is accountable for these issues,” Borah also said.
The Congress leader expressed serious concerns over the JJM schemes, stating that nearly 50 lakh people in the state are deprived of piped water connections.
Borah highlighted the struggles faced by contractors working on JJM projects, alleging widespread corruption through commission payments.
He explained that contractors are being forced to pay commissions to secure contracts, which severely impacts the financial viability of the projects. “For example, in a project worth ₹2 crore, contractors are allegedly paying commissions of up to ₹16 lakh before even starting work. Borah further alleged that some of these commissions have reached Vajpayee Bhawan, the headquarters of the BJP in Assam, indicating a deeper issue of corruption within the system,” he said.
Borah emphasized that many of these contractors are indigenous people from Assam, and the burden of these commissions has left them in difficult financial situations. This, according to him, has contributed to the compromised quality of work and delays in delivering water connections to households under the JJM schemes.
The letter from the PHED secretary indicated that the third-party inspection team had “compromised and overlooked” problems in the execution of JJM schemes, leading to widespread irregularities.
The PHED secretary’s letter noted that some contractors had failed to adhere to established project deadlines and repeatedly requested extensions, reflecting non-compliance with project objectives. These failures suggested potential lapses in both project management and quality assurance.
To address these discrepancies, the PHED has ordered a comprehensive review of the status of all ongoing and completed schemes, resulting in a temporary standstill for all JJM-related activities.
