Nunna panchayat violates Jal Jeevan Mission rules

Dasari Srinivasa Rao
Vijayawada

In a brazen violation of rules, the Nunna gram panchayat of Vijayawada Rural mandal is learnt to have been diverting the funds of the Central government scheme Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to benefit realtors instead of the targeted targeted groups. Due to political pressure, the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWS&S) Department, which is the JJM implementing agency, has chosen a private real estate venture for the laying of pipelines.

The main objective of the scheme is to provide safe and adequate drinking water, along with a tap connection, to each household. But, the gram panchayat has violated the rules and regulations by providing a pipeline connection to a private real estate venture. The JJM pipeline works have become a talking point among political circles. Even the ruling YSRCP leaders have criticised the gram panchayat.

Jal Jeevan Mission is envisioned to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India. The programme will also implement source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, such as recharge and reuse through greywater management, water conservation, and rainwater harvesting.

According to the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Department, about Rs.1.30 crore was sanctioned for implementing the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme in Nunna village, where about 25,000 to 30,000 people are residing. Of that, the gram panchayat has spent Rs 30 lakh for pipeline works at a private venture, which belongs to YSRCP leaders.

The sources said that the total number of households in the NTR district was 2,67,792, of which 77,226 households have tap water connections as on August 2019, that is 28.84 per cent. Jal Jeevan Mission scheme was started in March this year and as many as 1,50,428 households have got the tap connections so far, the sources added. As many as 73,202 (38.41 per cent) households have been provided with tap water connections since the launch of the Mission.

Meanwhile, higher authorities had no information about the laying of JJM pipeline at a private real estate venture in Nunna. Without informing the officials concerned, the work agency laid a JJM pipeline at an unauthorised layout, the sources said. There public alleged that the pipeline work was done in the interest of some of the ruling party leaders, who laid the layout near the Polavaram Right Main Canal at Nunna.

Nunna gram panchayat secretary GTV Ramana said that he had no idea about the laying of the JJM pipeline at a private real estate venture. He added that the real estate venture in question was unauthorised and that the JJM pipeline shouldn’t have been laid there. Also, he said he could pursue the work.

RWS&S Department’s NTR District Superintending Engineer (SE) G Venkata Ramana, speaking to ‘The Pioneer’, said that there was no provision either to lay a pipeline or to give tap connections to private ventures.

“However, if the gram panchayat passes a resolution and it is approved by the Mandal Parishad, the district-level committee may sanction tap connections to private ventures. But they have to pay an amount for the tap connection,” he said. As of now, no gram panchayat has sent such proposals to the department, he added.