Centre Signs Jal Jeevan 2.0 Deals With Bengal, Andaman
Agreements aim to strengthen rural water governance and community-led supply systems
- Centre signs Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 MoUs with Bengal and Andaman
- Gram Panchayats to manage village water systems and maintenance
- Suvendu Adhikari assures transparent Har Ghar Jal implementation
- Centre pushes faster execution of rural drinking water projects
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 20th May: C. R. Patil, Union Jal Shakti Minister, on Sunday signed reform-linked Memorandums of Understanding with the governments of West Bengal and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 to strengthen rural drinking water governance and expand community-led water supply systems.
The agreements were signed during meetings attended by V. Somanna, Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti, and Ashok K K Meena, Secretary of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
Officials said the agreements establish a Gram Panchayat-led rural water governance framework under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, transferring responsibility for village-level water supply operations, maintenance and tariff collection to Village Water and Sanitation Committees.
For the Andaman and Nicobar administration, the MoU was signed between Swati Meena Naik and Sachin Shinde in the presence of D. K. Joshi and Chief Secretary Chandra Bhushan Kumar.
Patil said Jal Jeevan Mission has evolved into a people-centric programme focused on health, dignity and empowerment in rural India. He added that the mission deadline had been extended till December 2028 to achieve complete tap water coverage and sanitation goals.
The minister said the Andaman and Nicobar Islands had already achieved 100 per cent rural tap water coverage and Har Ghar Jal certification across all blocks.
The agreement with West Bengal was signed at the Chief Minister’s Office in the presence of Suvendu Adhikari, Chief Minister of West Bengal, and Chief Secretary Manoj Kr Agarwal.
The MoU was signed between Swati Meena Naik and Narayan Swaroop Nigam.
Patil urged the Bengal government to accelerate implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 and conduct reviews in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Purulia districts.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the Centre had extended financial support to the state and assured transparent implementation of the Har Ghar Jal vision in rural Bengal.
