Shillong, Dec 3: The state government has decided to approach Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release funds to clear pending bills to contractors for projects implemented under the Centrally-funded Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) ahead of Christmas.
“Meghalaya is Christian state and it is duty bound on the part of the government of Meghalaya that we should take care of our own people. Considering that, we are putting our efforts to pursue and convince the government of India to release the money to all Christian states including Meghalaya,” PHE Minister Marcuise N Marak told reporters on Wednesday.
Marak informed that Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had met Union Jal Shakti minister CR Patil and submitted a memorandum seeking release of funds to clear pending bills last year.
“In case nothing happens, I have already told the chief minister that we should also meet the Prime Minister (to resolve the issue),” Marak said.
Informing that the delay in release of JJM funds is a pan-India issue, he said, “The JJM bills (amounting to Rs 700 crore) are not paid to all the contractors because we are yet to receive the government of India fund.”
Because of the pending bills, the minister said, “We can’t even ask the contractors to work aggressively. Therefore, work is almost stuck up there.”
Stating that more than 83% of JJM work completed in the state, Marak said that the Centre has extended the deadline to 2028.
“Government of India has directed all the states on the need for reconciliation of exceeded expenditure which has been incurred in almost all the projects,” he stated while announcing the department’s ongoing exercise to complete the process of geo-tagging all projects.
