The Chhattisgarh High Court recently took suo motu cognizance of a news article alleging irregularities in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission in Bilaspur District.
The news article, published on December 24, 2024, claimed that officers of the Public Health Engineering Department had fraudulently obtained certificates stating 100% completion of water supply in various villages, despite water being supplied to only a few houses.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal considered the matter serious, as it involved concerns of the public at large relating to water supply in various villages.
The news report highlighted that in one village, Daihanpara, water was being supplied to only 130 houses, which accounted for merely 20% of the population.
Furthermore, the report stated that in village Panchayat Bannakdih, those without ration cards were not being given water supply connections.
The court directed the Secretary, Public Health & Engineering Department, Government of Chhattisgarh, to file a personal affidavit addressing the issues involved in the news report.
The affidavit must provide details on when the Jal Jeevan Mission was launched in the state and its expected completion date.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on January 8, 2025.