Shimla, March 20 (IANS) As a significant step in the rural drinking water framework, a memorandum of understanding for Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0 was signed on Friday between the government of India and the Himachal Pradesh government in New Delhi.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri and Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil 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 till 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 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 said 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.

The extension of Jal Jeevan Mission up to December 2028, with enhanced financial outlay, seeks to restructure and reorient the programme towards assured service delivery, with a focused emphasis on functionality, water quality, source sustainability and community ownership, thereby establishing JJM 2.0 as a robust and sustainable national model for rural drinking water services.

--IANS

vg/uk