Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], March 20 (ANI): A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0 was signed between the Government of India and the Government of Himachal Pradesh in New Delhi today. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri joined the event virtually from Shimla, while Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil also attended the event virtually.

On behalf of the State, Secretary Jal Shakti Vibhag Abhishek Jain was present, while Joint Secretary Swati Nayak signed the MoU on behalf of the Government of India. JJM 2.0 will be implemented up to December 2028 with an enhanced outlay and restructured framework, focusing on structural reforms in the rural drinking water supply sector. At present, priority is being given to all single village schemes (SVS), including those for which States and Union Territories have already incurred advance expenditure.

On the occasion, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the geographical conditions of Himachal Pradesh were challenging and should not be compared with other states, as the cost of construction in hilly areas was significantly higher. He emphasised that norms applicable to other states should not be imposed on Himachal Pradesh. He added that the state government was actively promoting the management and distribution of water supply schemes through Panchayati Raj Institutions.

CM Sukhu also urged the Union Government to release the pending amount of Rs. 1,227 crore under JJM, stating that work on several schemes has already been completed, but payments are yet to be released. He said that the state government is committed to providing clean drinking water to every household and is working towards adopting advanced and modern technologies for water purification. (ANI)