₹130 Crore Disbursed Without Work Under Jal Jeevan Mission? Rajasthan High Court Asks State To Ensure Recovery From Wrongdoers
The Rajasthan High Court has directed the State Government to strictly pursue recovery of public money from those responsible for alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission, after noting that around ₹130 crore was disbursed without the actual work being carried out.The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice Chandra Shekhar...
The Rajasthan High Court has directed the State Government to strictly pursue recovery of public money from those responsible for alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission, after noting that around ₹130 crore was disbursed without the actual work being carried out.
The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice Chandra Shekhar Sharma observed that while criminal proceedings against the concerned officials were underway, the State must also take steps to recover the wrongfully disbursed public funds.
The Court further directed the State and Central Governments to “act on war footing” to ensure drinking water reaches everyone in Rajasthan, observing that the State, being a desert region, should receive priority in this regard.
“…the human beings first requirement is to quench his thirst and drinking water is essential. State of Rajasthan being a desert State needs to be given priority over other states for the said purpose,” it said.
The Court was hearing a PIL that had raised concerns of corruption within the concerned department where the contractors, who were assigned the work of providing tap work to huge number of houses in Rajasthan, had engaged in corruption.
During the hearing, the Court highlighted that while the law was taking its own course in these matters, the petitioner's concern was also regarding the recovery of money from the concerned persons.
The Court observed that the State was expected to take initiative in this regard too as it was public money which was taken away wrongfully. It was held that recovery proceedings had to be taken up strictly against those who had indulged in the wrongful action.
The ASG submitted that the Directorate of Enforcement had initiated action and attached properties worth Rs. 47.79 Crores of the concerned persons.
At the same time, the Court took account of the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission, and was informed that as per the data received from the Jal Shakti Department, a total of 63.63 lakhs houses were provided water in Rajasthan. The Court opined,
“We find that total 107.66 Lakh houses were identified in the year 2019 which required drinking water and by now there must be double the number of those houses, as seven years have passed by. We expect the State Government and the Central Government to take cognizance of the aforesaid aspects and act on war footing to provide drinking water to one and all in State of Rajasthan.”
Accordingly, the AAG was directed to inform the Court of the road map for completing the Jal Jeevan Mission in Rajasthan, on the next date.
The matter shall be next heard on September 9, 2026.
Title: Public Against Corruption v the Union of India, and other connected matter