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The Congress government said that the Rs 28,623.89 crore figure cited by the Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti represents the total allocated budget for 2019-20 to 2024-25, not the actual released amount.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah (PTI Image)
The Karnataka government has dismissed allegations of underutilisation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) funds, claiming full and efficient use of all central allocations, supplemented by substantial state funding.
Siddaramaiah-led government hit back at the Centre, saying that it was committed to the mission’s success, despite “delays” in central fund releases.
The sharp response from Karnataka comes after Union Minister V Somanna told the Lok Sabha that the state had spent Rs 11,760 crore under JJM, despite being allocated Rs 28,623 crore.
According to data released by the Karnataka government, as of February 10, 2025, the state has utilised 99.95% of the Rs 11,760.00 crore disbursed by the central government.
The Congress government said that the Rs 28,623.89 crore figure cited by the Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti represents the total allocated budget for 2019-20 to 2024-25, not the actual released amount.
In 2023-24, Karnataka utilised Rs 5,563.38 crore of the Rs 5,767.12 crore released by the Centre and contributed an additional Rs 9,310.00 crore from its own budget, exceeding its share. The Karnataka government argued that a request for an additional tranche submitted on March 21, 2024, remains unanswered by the central government.
Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge has claimed that delays in central fund releases for 2024-25 have significantly impacted implementation. He claimed that despite requesting the first tranche of Rs 3,804.41 crore on April 8, 2024, Karnataka received only Rs 570.66 crore on July 30, 2024. Repeated follow-ups and a personal appeal have yielded no results, the Minister said.
The state has claimed that to mitigate these delays, Karnataka has allocated Rs 4,977.25 crore from its own Rs 7,652.99 crore state budget and has already spent Rs 5,322.03 crore, “demonstrating its commitment to the JJM.”
“Despite central delays hindering progress, we’ve invested state resources to ensure success. We urge the central government to expedite pending releases,” said Priyank Kharge.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called it the BJP’s betrayal of Karnataka while hitting out at the Union Minister.
BJP’s Betrayal of Karnataka Exposed!Union Minister @VSOMANNA_BJP is peddling lies to cover up the Union Government’s deliberate sabotage of Jal Jeevan Mission in Karnataka! Here are the FACTS:
Total Allocation for JJM – ₹49,262 Cr (Centre Share – ₹26,119 Cr, State Share -…
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) February 15, 2025
Karnataka has approved 42,559 in-village works, with 39,098 underway, and grounded 135 Multi-Village Schemes. A request for a time extension on 23 additional works, submitted on August 22, 2024, is also pending a response from the central government, according to the state government.
- Location :
Bangalore, India, India
