A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0 was signed today between the Government of India and the Government of Himachal Pradesh. Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri participated virtually from Shimla, while Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil attended the event online.
On behalf of Himachal Pradesh, Secretary of Jal Shakti Vibhag, Dr. Abhishek Jain, was present, and the MoU was signed by Joint Secretary Swati Nayak for the Government of India. JJM 2.0, set to continue until December 2028, comes with an enhanced outlay and a restructured framework aimed at driving reforms in rural drinking water supply. The program prioritizes single village schemes (SVS), including projects for which the state has already incurred expenditure.
Chief Minister Sukhu highlighted the challenges of implementing water supply projects in Himachal Pradesh due to its hilly terrain and stressed that norms designed for other states should not be applied to the state. He emphasized that construction costs in mountainous areas are considerably higher and that the state is actively promoting the management and distribution of water schemes through Panchayati Raj Institutions.
Sukhu also urged the Union Government to release the pending Rs. 1,227 crore under JJM, noting that several schemes have been completed but payments are yet to be cleared. He reaffirmed the state’s commitment to ensuring clean drinking water for every household and stated that modern technologies for water purification are being adopted to enhance efficiency and service delivery.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
