Jammu and Kashmir assembly forms panel to investigate Jal Jeevan Mission

The Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Abdul Rahim Rather, announced the formation of a House panel to investigate alleged irregularities in the Jal Jeevan Mission. This decision came after concerns were raised by members from various political parties, including the National Conference, Congress, and some members of the BJP. Rather made the announcement during Saturday's assembly session, stating the need to address the concerns raised during the debate. He noted that a similar demand had been mentioned earlier in the session. However, details about the panel's structure were not provided at that time. The issue arose during a discussion about funding for the Public Health Engineering (PHE) projects. PHE Minister Javed Ahmed Rana stated that the projects under the Jal Jeevan Mission were transparent. In contrast, several members claimed there were wrongdoings in the project’s implementation. Leader of the Opposition, Sunil Sharma, suggested that the assembly should debate the matter before forming a panel. Nevertheless, Rather highlighted that a detailed discussion had already taken place and proceeded with the announcement. In a related development, a senior IAS officer had previously flagged a potential scam concerning the Jal Jeevan Mission in August 2023. The officer alleged that the scam involved ₹13,000 crore and had informed senior officials about serious issues in the project. However, the additional chief secretary of Jammu and Kashmir denied any financial irregularities related to the mission. On the same day, the Legislative Assembly passed grants for several departments, including ₹154,531.84 lakh for Forests, ₹157,671.32 lakh for Irrigation and Flood Control, ₹350,126.57 lakh for PHE, and ₹44,299.17 lakh for Tribal Affairs. These grants were approved through a voice vote.