Bengal drew lesser funds under JJM due to delay in submission of proposals: Centre

New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) Amid concerns being raised by the West Bengal government over pending central dues under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), the Centre told Parliament on Thursday that the state drew lesser funds than the total allocation due to a delay in the submission of proposals and that the central funding was limited to the approved mission period.

In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha from Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Bapi Haldar on the outstanding dues to West Bengal under the JJM and when is it likely to be released, Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil said the state has been advised to complete the ongoing works from its own resources.

Paatil said the Centre, in partnership with the states and Union territories, is implementing the JJM to provide functional tap-water connections to every rural household.

At the start of the mission in 2019, only 3.23 crore (16.7 per cent) rural households were reported to have tap-water connections. As on December 15, 2025, out of an estimated 19.37 crore rural households in the country, more than 15.76 crore (81.42 per cent) households were provided with Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs), he added.

Paatil said in West Bengal, only 2.15 lakh (1.22 per cent) rural households were reported to have tap-water connections at the start of the mission in August 2019. As on December 15, 2025, of the 1.75 crore rural households in the state, around 99.09 lakh (56.46 per cent) rural households have been provided tap-water connections, the minister said.

He said the Union Cabinet had approved the implementation of the JJM for five years, that is, from 2019-20 to 2023-24, and the states were to complete planning, approval, implementation of water supply schemes under the mission in this period.

"Releases to states including West Bengal were made in consonance with 'Just in Time' principle and extant instructions issued by Ministry of Finance from time to time so as to avoid undue parking of fund in the State," the Union minister said.

He said against a central allocation of Rs 24,645 crore, West Bengal could draw only Rs 13,027.84 crore during the mission period due to a delay in the submission of proposals, along with the requisite documents, in accordance with the MoF and JJM guidelines. The total expenditure by the state was Rs 15,101.35 crore, Paatil said.

"The central outlay as approved by the Union Cabinet has now been utilised. Further, state was clarified that the central funding was limited to the approved mission period only and advised ... to complete their ongoing works from their own resources," he added.

The minister said considering the progress achieved so far and the ongoing works, the finance minister has announced extending the JJM till December 2028 with an enhanced total outlay through the budget announcements of 2025-26.

"Central grants-in-aid may be released to eligible states only after getting approval from the competent authority for the extension of the Jal Jeevan Mission with the enhanced outlay and following the issuance of the corresponding guidelines," he said.

A delegation of TMC leaders met Paatil on Wednesday and submitted a memorandum to him regarding the pending dues for West Bengal under the JJM.

In the memorandum, the ruling party in West Bengal claimed that the Centre owes an amount of Rs 2,525 crore to the state under the JJM, adding that no funds were released to it since August 2024.

The TMC said the Centre was required to release Rs 5,050 crore to the state in 2024-25, but has released only Rs 2,525 crore, resulting in a shortfall of Rs 2,525 crore. In contrast, during the same period, the West Bengal government was required to release Rs 4,557 crore, but has released Rs 4,926 crore, that is, Rs 2,401 crore more than the central share.

In his reply, Paatil said in 2024-25, an amount of Rs 5,049.98 crore was allocated to West Bengal and an amount of Rs 2,524.99 crore was drawn by the state, while it had spent Rs 4,905.55 crore. PTI AO RC