MP Bimol raises alarm on JJM claims
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 31 2025: Lok Sabha MP Dr Angomcha Bimol Akoijam has called for public scrutiny of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) implementation in the state, highlighting discrepancies between official records and ground realities.

His statement, made through a Facebook post on Thursday, follows a written reply he received in Parliament from the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

In his post, Dr Bimol said democracy demands that citizens remain "informed, alert, responsible, and responsive", particularly in monitoring government schemes that directly affect their lives.

He said that the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, V Somanna, informed the Lok Sabha that 25,920 rural households in Manipur already had tap water connections before the launch of JJM on August 15, 2019, and that 3,33,539 additional households had received connections since the scheme's implementation.

The minister's reply, which included a district-wise breakdown, stated that as of July 28, 2025, 3,59,459 of the state's 4,51,619 rural households, about 79.6 per cent, were reported to have tap water connections.

JJM is designed to provide functional household tap connections with a sustainable water source, and proposals are vetted through state-level committees to ensure availability and long-term viability.

However, Dr Bimol said that his observations as chairman of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) told a different story.

"A significant number of the households claimed to have received tap water connections have not actually received the tap water pipes, despite being officially listed as beneficiaries," he said in his Facebook post.

Calling it a crucial part of an MP's duty to verify these lapses, he urged the public to check the official JJM website where beneficiary lists with names and addresses are available.

The MP's concerns are echoed on the ground.

The People's Chronicle's field visit in one of the villages listed on the JJM dashboard revealed that residents are still buying water from private tankers.

One villager, whose name appeared as a beneficiary online, said she was "amused" to see her name on the list because no one in the village has a ta'p water connection.

"We still buy water from tankers at Rs 350 for 1,000 litres, which lasts only a couple of days," she said.

The JJM dashboard also shows ongoing construction projects marked as both "functioning" and "beneficiary-delivered," even though water supply infrastructure in some areas remains incomplete.

In several villages, pipes are yet to be laid, and water sources for sustainable supply have not been secured.

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