A resolution calling for an inquiry into the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) water connectivity projects in Meghalaya was defeated by voice vote in the Assembly today.
The resolution was moved by Congress MLA for Umsning Dr Celestine Lyngdoh.
“I will be defeated in the voice vote but I will not withdraw my motion because if I withdraw I run away from my responsibility to speak and demand for water in the taps for the public,” Dr Lyngdoh said.
The MLA said that the opposition wants a free, fair and unbiased investigation on the implementation of the JJM in Meghalaya. While the state government has claimed great success in the implementation, critics have alleged corruption and poor execution of the project.
“All I am asking is that water is in the taps for the people. How it is tested, whether it is potable or not, is the duty of the department. But we ask for water in the taps,” Dr Lyngdoh said.
Earlier, initiating the discussion on the resolution, Dr Lyngdoh said that one of the catchy abbreviations in the mission document of the JJM is the Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC).
“Functional means when we open the tap there should be water trickling down to our buckets or mugs but that is missing,” he said. “Another catchy word in the JJM is sustainability but if you fit a plastic pipe that may get burned (in a forest fire) where is that sustainability factor?”
The FHTC should really include an ‘N’ for Non-Functional.
“If they add that ‘N’ we will agree. That it is nicely implemented,” Dr Lyngdoh quipped.
In his reply to the resolution, Public Health Engineering (PHE) Minister Marcuise N Marak reiterated the government’s self-congratulatory tone.
“Despite challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the difficult terrain of the state, the PHE Department’s meticulous planning and concerted efforts have resulted in substantial progress,” Marak told the House.
The PHE minister informed the Assembly that since the inception of JJM in August 2019, the coverage of FHTCs has surged from a mere 0.7 percent to an impressive 74.60 percent, providing access to safe and reliable drinking water to 4,85,927 rural households.
