Centre admits no aid for Mission Bhagiratha, rules out support under Jal Jeevan Mission

The Union government informed the Rajya Sabha that Telangana did not receive Central assistance for Mission Bhagiratha and cannot be included under the Jal Jeevan Mission now, as the scheme framework and timelines have already been finalised

Hyderabad: The Union government on Monday informed the Rajya Sabha that Telangana did not receive any Central assistance for Mission Bhagiratha. It also indicated that there is no possibility of extending support under the Jal Jeevan Mission now, as the scheme framework has already been finalised.

Raising the issue during a discussion on budget allocation for the Jal Jeevan Mission, BRS Rajya Sabha member Vaddiraju Ravichandra asked whether the Centre had reviewed third-party inspection reports on drinking water works in Telangana, especially in tribal and remote districts such as Bhadradri Kothagudem, Mulugu and Adilabad. He sought to know whether any allocations were made to Telangana under the scheme.

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Responding, Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil said Telangana and Bihar were the only two States that did not receive Central funds as they had taken up drinking water schemes using their own resources. He said these States were now seeking support but could not be included as the scheme guidelines and timelines had already been fixed, with 2028 as the deadline to achieve cent per cent tap connection to every household.

The reply gained significance as Telangana was a pioneer in implementing piped drinking water connections to households under Mission Bhagiratha, which inspired the launch of the Jal Jeevan Mission by the Centre. However, the State was left outside the Central funding framework despite repeated requests by the then BRS government.