West Bengal set to join Centre's 'Jal Jeevan Mission'

KOLKATA: West Bengal has decided to join the Centre's 'Jal Jeevan Mission' aimed at supplying piped water to rural households , after it allowed the state government to sponsor the portion of project cost that was to be borne by the beneficiaries, a senior official said on Wednesday.

The scheme will now be implemented in Bengal on 50:50 cost-sharing basis with the Union government, he said.

"We have got the nod from the Centre in this regard," the official said.

The state government will have to shell out around Rs 6,000 crore to pay for the beneficiaries' share, he said.

Under the Jal Jeevan Mission , the central government plans to supply piped water to around 18 crore rural households across the country, including nearly two crore in West Bengal, by 2024-2025.

The project entails 50 per cent contribution by the Centre and 40 cer cent by the state, while beneficiaries need to bear the remaining cost.

The West Bengal government, taking exception to the 10-per cent cost-sharing condition by those who stand to benefit from the scheme, had written to the Union government.

Bengal has already started implementing its own water supply projects in North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Nadia districts, the official said.

The state government wants to connect 50 lakh rural households with piped water by 2021, the official added.