Public Health Engineering (PHE) Minister Marcuise N Marak has informed that the Government of India is expected to release around Rs 700 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in January, following a recent meeting of chief engineers from all states held in Delhi.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Marak said the Centre has assured that the funds will be released soon, though the disbursement is likely to take place in January. “The Government of India called for a meeting, and I was briefed by the Chief Engineer that the funds will be released very soon, but it will be in the month of January,” he said.
The Minister explained that delays in fund release are being faced by several states due to various issues related to JJM implementation. He added that the Centre has directed such states to rectify and address their shortcomings before the funds are released.
“Other states are having a lot of issues and problems, and the Government of India has asked them to rectify those issues and concerns,” Marak stated.
Expressing confidence in Meghalaya’s performance, Marak said the state has completed nearly 83 per cent of the JJM work and remains on track. “Work is up to the mark, everything is on track here in Meghalaya. There are some discrepancies, which we are rectifying,” he said.
Marak further revealed that the state has pending bills amounting to approximately Rs 700 crore, which are ready for payment following third-party inspections.
The Minister also warned that while there are no major discrepancies in the state, strict action will be taken against officers who fail to initiate action against contractors with pending projects.
“There is not much discrepancy in our state, but some officers need to take action against contractors whose projects are pending. We have already directed the concerned officers, or else they will be taken to task,” Marak added.