Shimla, Mar 20 (PTI) An MoU for the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0 was signed between the Union government and the Himachal Pradesh government in New Delhi on Friday, a statement issued here said.
Secretary, Jal Shakti, Abhishek Jain signed the MoU on behalf of the state government, while Joint Secretary Swati Nayak signed on behalf of the Centre.
The JJM 2.0 will be implemented up to December 2028 with an enhanced outlay and restructured framework, focusing on structural reforms in the rural drinking water supply sector. At present, priority is being given to all single village schemes (SVS), including those for which states and Union Territories have already incurred advance expenditure.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri joined the event virtually from Shimla, while Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil also attended the event virtually.
Sukhu said that the geographical conditions of Himachal Pradesh are challenging and should not be compared with other states, as the cost of construction in hilly areas is significantly higher.
He emphasised that norms applicable to other states should not be imposed on Himachal Pradesh. He added that the state government is actively promoting the management and distribution of water supply schemes through Panchayati Raj Institutions.
Sukhu also urged the Union government to release the pending amount of Rs 1,227 crore under JJM, stating that work on several schemes has already been completed but payments are yet to be released. PTI BPL — MNK MNK
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