JJM row: Congress burns PHE minister’s effigy in Nalbari, seeks resignation
Protesters alleged that the Mission, overseen by Minister Mallabaruah, had brought disrepute to the state
Effigy of Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah burnt in Nalbari
Nalbari, Dec 21: A massive protest erupted in Nalbari, on Sunday, as Congress workers burnt an effigy of Public Health Engineering (PHE) minister Jayanta Mallabaruah in his home constituency, alleging corruption in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
The demonstration led to the temporary shutdown of Nalbari Thana Chowk, causing traffic disruptions in the busy area.
Protesters later submitted a memorandum to the Nalbari District Commissioner through the officer-in-charge of Nalbari police station, Pawan Kalita, demanding the Mallabruah’s resignation.
Congress workers alleged that the Jal Jeevan Mission, overseen by Mallabaruah, had brought disrepute to the state.
“We are ashamed that the Jal Jeevan Mission Minister represents Nalbari. Assam has been ranked second in the country for corruption in the implementation of the scheme. Earlier, the minister faced allegations of cow smuggling, and now his department has pushed Assam to second place nationally in corruption. He must resign,” a Congress worker said.
The protest was organised under the banner of the Nalbari Town Block Congress and saw the presence of senior party leaders, including former Nalbari MLA Ashok Sharma and Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) general secretary Arun Tiwari.
The protest follows remarks made earlier this month by Gaurav Gogoi, president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), who launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led government over the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission.
On December 18, Gogoi accused the government of large-scale mismanagement and corruption in the rollout of the flagship drinking water scheme, claiming it had failed to deliver the promised benefits on the ground.
“The department implementing the Jal Jeevan Mission is headed by a minister close to the Chief Minister. That is why scams have flourished and people continue to suffer,” he said.
To intensify the campaign, the APCC chief announced a statewide sticker drive at locations where the Jal Jeevan Mission has allegedly failed.
“Wherever the scheme has not worked, we will paste stickers so that both the central and state governments are compelled to carry out fresh inspections,” Gogoi added.
The implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission in Assam also came under sharp scrutiny in the Lok Sabha during the recently concluded Winter Session, with Gogoi accusing the state government of turning the centrally sponsored scheme into a “complete flop show”.
Earlier, on June 9, PHE Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah told the State Assembly that the Jal Jeevan Mission undergoes rigorous, multi-layered scrutiny, including third-party inspections and real-time monitoring.
He said the state had taken up 27,596 schemes under the mission, of which 18,498 have been completed, and 17,230 have already been handed over to user committees.