Jal Jeevan Mission unites J&K Assembly as House worries over stalled schemes

The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly demonstrated rare unity across party lines over the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) during the autumn session's final day. Protests erupted from both the treasury and opposition benches, as delays in projects and payments to contractors came under scrutiny. Over 3,000 JJM schemes were under investigation by a House committee for the past year, revealing issues like delayed payments and administrative negligence.

The committee's 1,252-page report criticized the lack of planning, supervision, and monitoring, as well as the shift from GI pipes to HDPE three years after the mission's launch. Former High Court judge and National Conference MLA Hasnain Masoodi, who chaired the committee, emphasized that members raised concerns without demanding a halt to work or payments to contractors.

Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather proposed auditing all JJM schemes, urging the government to address identified issues. Critics, including People's Conference president Sajad Lone, feared the ongoing probe would prevent the Centre from providing further funds. The government was tasked with submitting an action-taken report within six months, while schemes without complaints could continue.