Raju Bista welcomes Centre’s probe into 'Jal Jeevan Mission' irregularities in Darjeeling, Kalimpong

Member of Parliament from Darjeeling, Raju Bista has welcomed the recent move by the Ministry of Jal Shakti to send a central team to look into the irregularities in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts.

Earlier this year, on February 6, 2025, Raju Bista had raised serious concerns in Parliament regarding the poor implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission projects in his constituency. He had pointed out that many problems had taken place during the execution of these water supply projects. These included poor quality of work, not following proper procedures, and the involvement of too many government agencies such as West Bengal Public Health Engineering (WB PHE), the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), and the Neorakhola Water Supply Maintenance Division.

He had also alleged that corruption was clearly visible in these projects. According to him, these irregularities were not hidden, and anyone could see that something was not right with the way these projects were being carried out.

In response to his concerns, the Ministry of Jal Shakti took action and sent a central team to investigate the situation. The team visited the Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts from February 27 to February 28 this year. After completing the visit, the team submitted its report to the ministry.

Raju Bista has now received a communication from V. Somanna, the Minister of State for Jal Shakti. In the letter, the minister informed him that the report from the National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM) team has been sent to the Government of West Bengal. The state government has been asked to reply and submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) regarding the irregularities mentioned in the report.

Raju Bista has said that the Jal Jeevan Mission is a very important national programme. He added that it is especially important for the people of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, where many families are still struggling to get clean and safe drinking water in their homes.

He said that misuse of funds and poor quality work not only go against the purpose of this important scheme but also put the health and daily lives of people at risk. He said that it is the duty of the state government to make sure the programme is carried out honestly and effectively.

While welcoming the submission of the report, Bista has urged the Government of West Bengal to respond in a clear and timely manner. He said the Action Taken Report must explain what steps the government is taking to fix the problems and punish those who are guilty of wrongdoing.

Raju Bista also promised that he will continue to monitor the matter closely. He said he will follow up with the concerned authorities to make sure that Jal Jeevan Mission projects in the hills are completed properly, with transparency and accountability.