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Harshvardhan Sapkal said funds for the mission have now been slashed by 47 per cent, putting future projects at risk
Sapkal highlighted tragic cases like the death of a young girl in Yavatmal while fetching water and women in Nashik risking their lives by climbing into wells. (PTI)
Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal has accused the state and Union governments of corruption in the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme that has left lakhs of households without safe drinking water, prompting a strong reaction from the BJP which slammed him for politicising the issue.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised clean tap water in every home by 2024, but it’s 2025 and women in Maharashtra are still walking miles for water,” Sapkal said during a press conference at Tilak Bhavan in Mumbai.
Citing an inquiry by the Union finance ministry, Sapkal pointed to glaring financial irregularities. “How did the cost of a single tap rise from Rs 30,000 to Rs 1.37 lakh? The Centre itself has asked for clarification. Clearly, the mission benefited only officials and contractors,” he said. Sapkal highlighted tragic cases like the death of a young girl in Yavatmal while fetching water and women in Nashik risking their lives by climbing into wells. “This isn’t just poor implementation—it’s criminal negligence,” he stated.
Sapkal added that funds for the mission have now been slashed by 47 per cent, putting future projects at risk. “This is not just a policy failure—it is a betrayal of women and rural communities who still face the daily trauma of water scarcity.”
Rejecting the allegations, Atul Bhatkhalkar, BJP MLA from Mumbai, said: “With the help of Jal Jeevan Mission and Har Ghar Jal, many families are getting benefitted as they are receiving water at home. Water issues become severe during summers every year, not only in Maharashtra, but across India. Such schemes of the Centre and state to provide clean drinking water to common people at their doorstep can be considered as relief to those families in this scorching heat. Hence, I request the Congress state president to not politicise this issue.”
Meanwhile, Sapkal also demanded a probe into BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari’s controversial remarks about the 26/11 terror attack. “When Tahawwur Rana has been extradited to India, why is Bhandari making irresponsible claims? He must be interrogated alongside Rana. And if BJP leaders from that time are now in power, including Ajit Pawar, they too must face scrutiny. Pawar should be sacked from the cabinet until a proper investigation is done,” he said.
On the recent push to impose Hindi from Class 1, Sapkal called it a dangerous conspiracy. “This is an attempt to erase Marathi culture and language. Why not start with Gujarat if they’re serious about it? Imposing three languages without scientific basis is absurd. The chief minister is silent, but we demand that this decision be rolled back immediately.”