Bandipora, Oct 25: Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology and Environment, and Tribal Affairs, Javid Ahmed Rana, on Saturday said that all talk of development in the Union Territory “exists only on paper,” asserting that no funds have been withheld for Jal Shakti schemes, but there is “simply no money available.”
“People were deceived without being asked. The state was broken into pieces and made into a Union Territory, something unprecedented in the world’s history,” Rana said while addressing a public gathering in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, accompanied by MLA Gurez, Nazir Gurezi, Congresd MLA from Bandipora Nizamuddin Bhat and Sonawari constituency MLA, Hilal Akbar Lone.
He said that despite tall claims made since Jammu and Kashmir’s reorganisation, progress on the ground remains negligible.
“If there has been any development in Kashmir in the past five or six years, it is only on paper,” he said, adding that the Jal Shakti Department, which handles water supply schemes, is struggling due to fund shortages.
During their speeches, Gurezi and Lone, requested the funds for contractors and stalled Jal Shakti, which in undergoing probe, be released for ease of public, especially in tribal areas.
“It is said that we have stopped payments, but the truth is, we don’t have money at all,” the minister said, clarifying that funds under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) come from the Government of India and delays have affected project completion.
Rana, however, commended the department’s officials and contractors for keeping work going despite the crisis.
“I congratulate the Jal Shakti Department and the contractors who have shown immense courage and dedication to keep the system running without payments,” he said.
“When I took over, the contractor liability was ₹400 crore. Today, it stands at ₹1,100 crore,” Rana said, adding that around 3,200 schemes are operational and 1,700 have been completed under the mission across Jammu and Kashmir despite financial hurdles.
The minister said he recently met the Union Minister in Delhi and sought immediate release of funds to clear pending dues and complete the remaining 10–15 per cent of unfinished works.
“Wherever certification under Har Ghar Jal is received, we will ensure all pending payments are cleared,” Rana said, adding that he has also requested the Chief Secretary to provide the UT’s share to help complete the remaining schemes.
