Fifteenth Finance Commission

The Central Government has kept 50 percent of the funds provided to Gram Panchayats under the 15th Finance Commission in restricted form and has instructed that it should be used mainly for drinking water and sanitation schemes. The funds distributed to Gram Panchayats under the 15th Finance Commission are distributed by the Rural Development Department. The Rural Development Department has issued a government decision on the distribution of the 15th Finance Commission funds on 9 June 2020. While distributing the restricted funds in the fund, they should be used for rural water supply scheme programs under the Jal Jeevan Mission. The restricted funds in the funds provided to Gram Panchayats under the 15th Finance Commission should be used on priority for water supply works at the present time. Accordingly, the funds provided to Gram Panchayats under the 15th Finance Commission, in the restricted form, should be used only by the concerned Gram Panchayat for providing 100 percent functional household tap connection (FHTC) till further orders, while following the instructions are followed. 1. The villages which have been selected for retrofitting under the Jal Jeevan Mission at the level of the Executive Engineer, their functional household tap connection (FHTC) should be completed at the Gram Panchayat level. Administrative approval can be given to the Gram Panchayat within the limits of the administrative powers granted by the Rural Development Department regarding the use of the Finance Commission funds to the Gram Panchayat, and the Deputy Engineer, Water Supply and Sanitation Sub-Division, Zilla Parishad will be competent to give technical approval to such works. 2. In villages where more works (e.g. source development, search for new sources, high gravity channels, construction of water tanks, etc.) are to be done and functional household tap connection (FHTC) works are to be done. Such villages should complete the work of connecting 100 percent of the houses with taps first from the 15th Finance Commission. In the meeting of the State Council of Ministers held on 08/07/2020, the Central Government-led Jal Jeevan Mission has been implemented in the state. Accordingly, the target is to provide at least 55 liters of quality water per capita per day through individual tap connections to every family in the rural areas of the state by 2024. This Jal Jeevan Mission will be implemented with a 50:50 share between the Center and the State.

Action Plan – 1. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, drinking water will be supplied to every household in the rural areas of the state through functional tap connection to provide drinking water security. The quality of drinking water is expected to be at least as per Indian Standard – BIS:10500. 2. A baseline survey should be conducted to supply water to every household in the state through functional household tap connection (FHTC) and a plan should be made for the next 4 years. 3. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, water supply facility should be provided to every household through domestic tap connection by the year 2024. Accordingly, Village Action Plan (VAP), District Action Plan (DAP) should be prepared. This action plan includes quarterly and annual planning of planned domestic tap connections and the funds required for it. 4. Implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission The following types of schemes are included in the Jal Jeevan Mission. 5. Retrofitting of schemes under National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) to provide functional household connections with a minimum of 55 LPCD, and also retrofitting of earlier schemes to provide functional household connections from stand post to every household in villages where stand post tap water supply schemes are in operation. 6. Retrofitting of such schemes to provide minimum of 55 LPCD instead of 40 LPCD in case of completed schemes. 7. Taking up separate 9 schemes in villages where potable water is available in abundance (or through other alternatives). 8. In villages where there is abundant groundwater (or other alternatives available), but the water quality is not suitable, take up a separate scheme with a water purification project. 9. Take up a regional / village scheme (Water Grid) for villages where there is a shortage of water, 10. Provide permanent water supply to tribal villages / villages / padas in tribal areas without tap water supply facilities and provide water to every house through functional tap connection. Provide tap connection to government ashram schools, aided ashram schools, government hostels, anganwadis etc. through this scheme. Also implement a solar energy based tap water supply scheme for isolated / tribal wadis / padas. 11. Provide water supply to all houses in Dalit settlements through functional tap connection and maintain separate information about the beneficiaries of the schemes.