Rs 67,300 allocated for Jal Jeevan Mission in budget

Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil on Monday said the Central Government has allocated Rs 67,300 crore for Jal Jeevan Mission in the Budget for the next financial year, and the fund will be provided to States if certain conditions are fulfilled. The Centre is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), in partnership with States, to provide tap water supply to every rural household.

Replying to supplementaries in the Rajya Sabha during Question Hour, the minister asserted that the Modi Government in the last 11 years has provided adequate budgetary support to implement all the Central schemes and programmes.

“No scheme has stopped because of a lack of funds,” Patilemphasised.

The minister was replying to a query by AAP member Sanjay Singh, who wanted to know the reason for the sharp reduction in allocation of funds under the Jal Jeevan Mission, from around Rs 67,000 crore in the Budget estimate for 2025-26 to Rs 17,000 crore in the revised estimate for the current fiscal.

To this, Patil said the revised estimate is lower as States had to fulfil certain conditions and address all complaints.

There was a review meeting in September last year, and based on that, Rs 17,000 crore was allocated in the revised estimates.

The minister said the finance minister, in the latest Budget, has allocated Rs 67,300 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission for the 2026-27 fiscal.

“We have prescribed certain conditions. If those are fulfilled, we will provide funds,” the minister said, adding that there is no reason to have any doubt about the Government’s intention. He said the Government is taking action against irregularities.

In a written reply, Patil informed that the Centre is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), in partnership with States, to make provision of tap water supply to every rural household, as well as public institutions in villages like schools, anganwadi centres, ashram shalas (tribal residential schools), health centres and Gram Panchayat buildings, among others.

“Significant progress has been made in the country since the launch of the Jal Jeevan Mission towards enhancing access to tap water to rural households,” he said.

At the start of the Jal Jeevan Mission in August 2019, only 3.23 crore (16.72 per cent) rural households were reported to have tap water connections.

So far, as reported by the states, more than 12.55 crore additional rural households have been provided with tap water connections under JJM.

As of January 28, 2026, out of 19.36 crore rural households in the country, more than 15.79 crore (81.56 per cent) households are reported to have a tap water supply in their homes.

“...Works for the remaining households are at various stages of implementation as per the saturation plan of the respective State/ UT,” he said.

So far, 11 states/ Union territories, namely Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Mizoram, Punjab, Telangana, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra Nagar Haveli & Daman Diu (DNH & DD), and Puducherry, have achieved 100 per cent coverage of rural households and have attained the ‘Har Ghar Jal (HGJ)’ status.

As of January 26, 2026, 89.62 per cent of schools and 85.62 per cent of anganwadicentres in the country have tap water supply connections.