Congress Legislators Stage Protest at Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Claim Mismanagement in 'Nal Jal' Initiative
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Bhopal, December 19 (NationPress) Members of the Congress party in Madhya Pradesh organized a protest on the Assembly complex grounds against the government led by Mohan Yadav, alleging serious irregularities in the rollout of the 'Nal Jal' initiative in the region.
On the fourth day of the Winter Session of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly, the Congress legislators arrived at the premises holding water taps as a symbol of their protest.
This initiative was launched by the Central government under the 'Jal Jeevan Mission', which aims to provide tap water access to every household.
More than a dozen Congress legislators, spearheaded by the Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar, gathered at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi within the Assembly grounds, chanting slogans against the BJP administration led by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
The Congress party claimed that over 40 percent of the funds allocated for the 'Nal Jal' initiative have been misappropriated by the state government. They criticized the failure to adhere to the guidelines necessary for executing such a significant program, leading to a funding crisis.
According to Umang Singhar, “The Nal Jal Yojana was initiated to ensure access to safe drinking water for the populace. Nevertheless, it has failed due to financial irregularities within Madhya Pradesh. A collusion of lawmakers from the ruling BJP and senior officials has exploited the funds from the Nal Jal Yojana. We are insisting on a thorough investigation into these allegations.”
Last month, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh spotlighted this issue, particularly mentioning Madhya Pradesh, where he asserted that the initiative has stalled due to insufficient funding. Under this mission, 1.11 crore households are expected to receive tap water connections in Madhya Pradesh, although 63 percent of the work has already been completed.
Recently, the Madhya Pradesh government sought assistance from the Centre to cover costs, as the scheme operates on a cost-sharing basis. However, following the Centre's refusal, the state is now compelled to manage the expenditure amounting to Rs 1,500 crore.
Official sources indicated that approximately 7.5 lakh homes in over 5,000 villages remain excluded from the Jal Jeevan Mission in Madhya Pradesh. The matter of incorporating these remaining households, villages, or new settlements is expected to be addressed in the forthcoming state cabinet meeting.
It is noteworthy that since the commencement of the winter session on December 16, Congress members have been consistently raising concerns regarding irregularities in various schemes. Daily, Congress legislators have been protesting before entering the Assembly.
