OUR CORRESPONDENT
BONGAIGAON: The Bongaigaon District Congress on Tuesday staged a protest in Bongaigaon alleging large-scale corruption in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
Addressing the media, Girish Baruah, President of the Bongaigaon District Congress, termed the Jal Jeevan Mission a 'flop show' and alleged that it had emerged as one of the most corrupt schemes in the country. He said that Jayanta Mallabaruah, who is in charge of the Jal Jeevan Mission in Assam, must take responsibility for the alleged irregularities.
Baruah claimed that Uttar Pradesh topped the list of alleged corruption in the scheme, with Assam placed second. He further alleged that an amount of around Rs 40,000 had been spent per family under the scheme, calling it an unreasonably high expenditure.
According to him, the scheme has failed in most of the areas, with water supply remaining irregular. However, he alleged that people were not protesting because many beneficiaries already had their own water arrangements. He further claimed that water connections were largely provided in areas where residents already had ample access to water, making the scheme an 'extra facility' rather than a necessity.
Baruah alleged that areas genuinely facing water scarcity were deliberately left out of the scheme, which helped avert protests against the alleged scam. He also accused Jayanta Mallabaruah of misappropriating public funds in the name of the Jal Jeevan Mission.
Demanding accountability, the District Congress President called for a thorough and impartial investigation into the alleged scam, warning that the party would intensify its agitation if corrective steps are not taken.
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