Srinagar, April 9: In a significant move towards transparency and accountability, Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Advocate Abdul Rahim Rather, on Wednesday announced the formation of a House Committee to investigate alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) across the Union Territory.
Responding to mounting concerns raised by multiple Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) on the floor of the House, the Speaker formally issued an order to constitute a multi-party House Committee tasked with a thorough probe into the functioning, fund utilization, project execution, and overall implementation of the centrally-sponsored Jal Jeevan Mission — a flagship initiative aimed at providing tap water to every rural household.
“In view of the pressing demand of the Hon’ble Members on the floor of the House for constitution of a House Committee to probe into the alleged irregularities in implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, I, Advocate Abdul Rahim Rather, Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, do hereby constitute a House Committee,” read the official order issued by the Speaker’s office.
The committee will be headed by Justice (Retd.) Hasnain Masoodi and includes a diverse group of legislators representing various political parties and constituencies. The full list of members includes Rajiv Jasrotia, M.Y. Tarigami, Ali Mohammad Dar, Ranbir Singh Pathania, Tanvir Sadiq, Javaid Riyaz (Bedar), Muzaffar Iqbal Khan, Rafiq Ahmad Naik, Arjun Singh Raju, and Iftikhar Ahmad.
The committee is expected to examine complaints and concerns related to tendering processes, execution delays, cost overruns, quality of work, and possible administrative lapses in the JJM projects. The Speaker’s decision reflects the Assembly’s commitment to ensuring good governance, fiscal prudence, and service delivery to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The House Committee has been directed to commence its work immediately and submit a comprehensive report with findings and recommendations at the earliest. The formation of the committee is being viewed as a critical step towards restoring public faith in large-scale developmental missions and addressing any systemic issues that may have crept into one of the government’s most ambitious water supply schemes.
Public and political observers are closely watching the developments as the probe unfolds, with expectations that the findings may lead to corrective policy actions and increased accountability