Jal Jeevan Mission under fire: Accusing dy CM Sao of providing inaccurate info, Oppn MLAs walk out
Chhattisgarh Assembly
on Tuesday regarding the progress and expenditure of the Jal Jeevan Mission, with the opposition alleging significant discrepancies in the reported figures and a slow pace of work under the current govt.
The discussion began with a question from former chief minister
Bhupesh Baghel
seeking details on the expenditure and targets under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
Deputy chief minister, who also heads the public works department, Arun Sao responded, providing district-wise expenditure details and stating that 31,16,398 households so far received tap water connections.
Baghel then raised concerns, highlighting a drastic reduction in expenditure in several districts during the 2024-25 financial year compared to the previous two years.
He pointed out that Raipur, Mungeli, Rajnandgaon, Janjgir, Jashpur, and Balrampur districts saw significantly lower spending. For example, Janjgir, which spent Rs 320 crore in 2023-24 and Rs 338 crore in 2022-23, only spent Rs 79 crore in 2024-25.
Similarly, Koriya spent only Rs 43 crore in 2024-25, compared to Rs 135 crore earlier.
Baghel also questioned the achievement of targets for tap connections, alleging severe shortfalls.
The deputy chief minister clarified the expenditure figures, stating that Rs 4,203 crore was spent in 2022-23 (16% of the total project cost), Rs 5,474 crore in 2023-24 (20%), and Rs 3,522 crore in 2024-25 (14%). He added that till July 1, 2025, a total of Rs 15,045 crore, or approximately 57% of the project cost, was spent, and 31 lakh households are receiving tap water. He acknowledged that the project, originally slated for completion in 2024, was not completed on time.
Sao attributed the varying performance across districts to the availability of resources and the pace of work.
Sao further stated that the previous govt's 'e-mission' portal recorded 36 lakh tap connections by Dec 2023 for the purpose of showing progress, but a verification in June 2024 revealed that only 21 lakh households were actually receiving water. He accused the previous govt of merely installing connections and taps without ensuring water supply.
He added that the current govt provided an additional 12,316 borewells to ensure water supply, and 3,836 villages now have complete tap water access.
Out of approximately 29,000 projects, 5,017 projects are fully functional.
Baghel further cornered the deputy chief minister, questioning the pace of work by the current govt. He said that based on the deputy chief minister's own figures, the current govt only provided 10 lakh connections in two years since taking office, while the previous govt provided 21 lakh connections.
He asked for clarification on whether the 21 lakh figure truly represented households receiving water or if it was merely an inflated statistic.
Other opposition MLAs, including Dilip Lahariya and Yashodamani Verma, interjected, claiming that the ground reality was different and that water was not reaching many villages. They alleged that the figures presented were false. Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahant also joined in on the debate, highlighting that the current govt, in its 20-month tenure, completed only 7% of the Jal Jeevan Mission work, while the previous govt completed 73% by Dec 2023.
.
The deputy chief minister reiterated that the 21 lakh figure was from June 2024, which includes the work done in the first six months of the current govt's tenure. He stated that the govt gave approximately 10 lakh water connections with actual water supply since taking office. Unsatisfied with the deputy chief minister's response, the opposition MLAs, led by Baghel, staged a walkout.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
9 minutes ago
- Hans India
BJP launches helpline for protecting small traders' interests
Bengaluru: The Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party, on Saturday, announced the launch of a helpline to safeguard the interests of small traders in the state in the backdrop of row over GST Addressing a press conference at the State BJP Office, Jagannath Bhavan, in Bengaluru, the Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, has said that the BJP will launch a helpline (8884245123) from July 21 to safeguard the interests of small traders in the state. He added that street vendors and small traders had been served notices by the state government, creating confusion and fear among poor traders in the state. He criticised the Congress-led state government for failing to provide solutions or clarify what constitutes taxable income. Narayanaswamy said that as per Central government's data available with the state, traders whose annual turnover exceeded Rs 40 lakh must register and pay GST. 'Service providers with turnover above Rs 20 lakh are also liable to pay GST. However, the notices sent by the state are not valid in many cases,' he alleged. 'Traders are not tax evaders or criminals. They do not understand the tax rules, and the state government has failed to educate them,' he said. He urged the state government to protect the interests of the poor traders rather than intimidate them. He said that according to Central government rules, GST is applicable only if the annual turnover exceeds Rs 1.5 crore at one per cent rate. 'For street vendors to fall under GST, they must have a permanent shop and address. There is an exemption for turnover up to Rs 40 lakh and issuing notices to traders with turnover above Rs 20 lakh has created confusion,' Narayanaswamy added. He also said that apps like Paytm, PhonePe, and Google Pay used for UPI transactions were being tracked, and funds received by traders directly into bank accounts were being used to send notices. 'But it's not being verified whether the turnover exceeding limits is due to actual business or loans and other types of transactions,' he clarified. According to G.S. Prashanth, State Convener of BJP'sEconomic Cell, items like flowers, fruits, vegetables, milk, meat, paneer, bangles, and many other products are exempted from GST. 'Even if someone does Rs 10 crore turnover in these exempted items, GST registration is not mandatory. Yet, notices have been sent to such traders by the state GST department,' he alleged. He added that according to GST laws, third-party data cannot be used to issue tax notices without verification. 'Information from Paytm, PhonePe, or Google Pay must be verified first. Officials must ascertain whether the trader's goods fall under GST before issuing notices. Unfortunately, none of this due process has been followed,' Prashanth claimed. He also said: 'The state GST department has done nothing to spread awareness among street vendors about the taxes. Nearly 90 per cent of traders fall under the jurisdiction of the state GST, and only 10 per cent under Central GST. Yet, without any outreach or information sharing, the state has spread fear among small traders.' Therefore, the 14,000 notices issued to traders by the state government are illegal and unconstitutional, he asserted. Those present at the press conference were Rajya Sabha MP Lehar Singh, Chikkaballapur district president S.V. Ramachandragowda (Seakal), BJP Medical Cell state convenor Dr. K. Narayan, BJP Economic Cell state convenor G.S. Prashanth, and former BJP state spokesperson G.V. Krishna. When asked about the state government's notices to small traders demanding tax payments, State BJP Preident B.Y. Vijayendra said, 'We discussed this yesterday with party leaders. The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government, which is struggling to mobilise funds for its guarantee schemes, is now intimidating street vendors by sending them tax notices.' 'While GST goes to the Centre, it is a fact that no other state in the country has seen such developments. But in Karnataka, the state government is unable to manage its finances for guarantees and development. So, under the Chief Minister's instructions, they are threatening traders andstreet vendors,' he added.
Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Let political battles be fought among electorate': SC rejects ED plea in MUDA case; asks 'why are you being used?'
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the 's (ED) plea challenging a Karnataka high court order that had quashed proceedings against B.M. Parvathi, wife of Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment case. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A bench of Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran refused to entertain the petition, making an oral observation remarking, 'Let political battles be fought amongst the electorate. Why are you (ED) being used for it?,' as quoted by ANI. The case involves allegations that Parvathi received 14 high-value compensatory plots in Mysuru, allegedly worth around Rs 56 crore, in return for a 3.2-acre parcel of land that MUDA had acquired from her. The land was originally gifted to her by her brother in 2010. The controversy erupted after the ED issued summons to Parvathi and state Urban Development Minister B.S. Suresha. In March, the Karnataka high court had set aside the summons, terming them unsustainable. Parvathi, in her defence, had said through senior advocate Sandesh Chouta: 'I am the wife of the CM. I have a moral responsibility to ensure that such allegations should be doused. I returned (the 14 sites) to the rightful authority and that cannot be admittance of guilt. ' Opposition parties have claimed the scam could be as high as Rs 4,000 crore, alleging large-scale irregularities in the allocation of compensatory sites by MUDA.
India.com
2 hours ago
- India.com
Bad news for India, UAE, Turkey as European Union imposes new sanctions on Russia, Fuel price likely to..., Modi govt now plans to...
New Delhi: In a major development, the European Union (EU) has imposed new sanctions on Russia, which could cause a major economic blow to India. The latest move by the European Union (EU) will put India's petroleum product exports worth USD 15 billion (approximately Rs 1,29,281 crore) to the EU at risk, according to the economic think tank GTRI (Global Trade Research Initiative). It is important to note that if the EU is derived from Russian crude oil, they will no longer purchase petroleum products from third countries. This step will also adversely affect countries like Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in addition to India, according to GTRI. These countries had been buying cheap crude oil from Russia, refining it, and then exporting products like diesel, petrol, and jet fuel (ATF) to Europe. GTRI founder Ajay Srivastava stated that these new EU rules will create challenges for countries like India, which have been refining Russian oil and exporting it to Europe. Here are some of the key details: India's USD 15 billion petroleum product exports are at risk due to the EU's new sanctions. In the financial year 2023–24, India exported petroleum products worth USD 19.2 billion to the EU, according to GTRI. In 2024–25, this figure dropped by 27.1 percent to USD 15 billion. The think tank stated that in the financial year 2024–25, India imported crude oil worth $50.3 billion from Russia. This accounts for more than one-third of India's total crude oil import bill of $143.1 billion. Is India's trade with Russia legal? India is conducting a legal and legitimate trade with Russia, according to Ajay Srivastava, founder of GTRI. India will have to strike a balance between economic practicality and geopolitical pressure, as energy ties between both countries have deepened. Now, the moot question is, what is EU's main motive behind these sanctions? The main aim of the EU's new sanctions is to weaken Russia's economy. Due to the Russia-Ukraine war, the EU has imposed several economic sanctions on Russia. These sanctions are intended to prevent Russia from raising funds for the war. India purchases crude oil from Russia to meet its energy needs. India is the third-largest oil consumer in the world. It imports 85 percent of its oil requirements. Russia is a key supplier of crude oil to India. How Is India Dealing with Current Situation? The European Union's sanctions could have an adverse impact on India's economy. India may now have to procure crude oil from alternative sources in order to export petroleum products to the EU. The Indian government is focusing on strengthening trade relations with other countries India is making efforts to increase domestic oil production. Ajay Srivastava said, 'The EU's new sanctions pose a challenge for countries like India. To ensure its energy security, India will need to adopt a balanced approach.' This means that India will have to maintain its trade relations with Russia while also strengthening its ties with Western countries.
