Chennai: Chief minister MK Stalin has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking immediate release of ₹3,112 crore pending under the Jal Jeevan Mission to ensure timely completion of rural drinking water schemes in Tamil Nadu. He has also sought the approval and financial support for phase 3 of Hogenakkal combined drinking water scheme.In the letter sent on Friday, In the first phase of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), Tamil Nadu took up 45 new multi village schemes (MVS), 56 retrofitting combined water supply schemes (CWSS) and 21,258 single village schemes (SVS) at a total cost of Rs. 18,123 crore. He said all the SVS and 92 out of 101 MVS and retrofitting schemes have been completed, while the remaining 9 MVS are in advanced stages of implementation. “However, only Rs. 5,914 crore has been released by the Govt of India as its share under JJM, leaving a pending balance of Rs 3,112 crore,” he said. Stalin added that though Rs.2,434 crore was allocated for TN during 2024–25, only Rs 732 crore has been released, and no funds have been received since September 2024. In a bid to sustain the progress of works and ensure timely completion of JJM works, the state govt has released an advance of Rs.2,550 crore from state resources, Stalin said. “Hence, I request you to intervene and immediately release the pending balance of Rs.3,112 crore,” he urged. On Phase 3 of Hogenakkal water supply scheme, Stalin said the project was approved by the State Level Scheme Sanctioning Committee of the Ministry of Jal Shakti in June 2023 at an estimated costof ₹8,428 crore, including a central share of ₹2,283 crore.“However, the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation recently indicated that central assistance cannot be extended at present, pending approval for the extension of the Mission. Withdrawal of support to this critical project at this stage would significantly affect the prospects of adequate drinking water supply in Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts,” said Stalin. He also requested sanction for 10 new multi village schemes worth ₹7,590 crore under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 in various districts.
