Shimla, June 21 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh government would take up the matter of releasing pending funds of Rs 1,200 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) with the Centre, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said on Saturday.
Chairing a review meeting of the Jal Shakti Department here, Agnihotri said that although the Centre sanctioned Rs 6,300 crore under the JJM, it released only Rs 5,100 crore and the remaining Rs 1,200 crore was still pending.
In the financial year 2024-25, the state received only Rs 137 crore out of a sanctioned amount of Rs 920 crore, with Rs 783 crore still pending, he said, according to an official statement.
At the meeting, the deputy chief minister directed the concerned officials to prioritise and complete all the pending works of the department within the fixed time frame.
Effective management of water resources and ensuring uninterrupted water supply remain the key priorities of the state government, and no negligence on these fronts will be tolerated, he said.
Agnihotri also instructed the concerned officials to step out of their offices and go on field visits to monitor the ongoing projects and promptly address public grievances.
He directed the officials to submit detailed reports of their ground visits to their seniors so that necessary action can be taken to address the concerns.
Agnihotri also asked the officials to prepare a detailed report of the 'Jal Rakshaks', who have completed 12 years in service so that the matter could be placed before the Cabinet.