Manipur Congress alleges Rs 1,222-Cr JJM scam, files PIL for court-monitored probe

Imphal, October 7: Inner Manipur MP Dr. Bimol Akoijam on Tuesday filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Manipur High Court, alleging a Rs 1,222-crore scam in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in the state.

Seeking a court-monitored inquiry and an audit, Akoijam claimed that several villages remain without tap water connections despite substantial government expenditure.

“Villages after villages have no connection. Initially, I thought there were minor lapses, but now I realise it’s widespread. It’s a cover for siphoning public money. It's a big scam,” he said.

Refuting the BJP-led government’s claims of providing 3.33 lakh tap-water connections, he said several panchayat heads have lodged complaints about the issue.

“Ground verification shows no water connection in several villages. I have met local panchayat heads who confirmed this,” he added.

In August, the Ministry of Jal Shakti had reported that since the launch of the JJM in 2019, the Centre has released Rs 1,303.27 crore for Manipur up to August 18, 2025.

Of this, Rs 1,078.82 crore was reportedly spent to provide tap water connections to 3.33 lakh additional rural households.

The state’s share of expenditure stands at Rs 124.03 crore, the Ministry had said in response to an unstarred question raised by Akoijam in the Lok Sabha.

“People are forced to buy bottled or tanker water despite having a Water Resources Department. The situation is terrible,” he continued.

Akoijam’s PIL is the latest in a series of petitions filed against the scheme across Manipur.

Recently, similar petitions, alleging discrepancies in JJM implementation, were registered in Chandel, Senapati, and Tengnoupal districts.

Taking a swipe at state BJP legislators for their recent trip to Delhi, Akoijam drew a parallel to Congress rule.

“Important decisions were then taken within the state. For the BJP, visiting Delhi is like visiting a holy place. Their bhagwan will decide what they should do. During Congress rule, government formation was decided within Manipur itself, not elsewhere,” he noted.