Fadnavis relaunches his pet project junked by Thackeray

Mumbai: Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ pet project, the Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan (JSA), is all set to be relaunched by the Maharashtra government. The water conservation project, which was the flagship programme of the Fadnavis-led BJP government, was scrapped by the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government after it came to power in November 2019, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was set up by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to probe the scheme’s alleged irregularities after a CAG report raised questions on it.

Around ₹9,500 crore was spent in phase one to implement the scheme in 22,593 villages. The state cabinet approved the second phase of the JSA on December 13, and an order on its revival was issued by the government in the first week of the new year.

For Phase 2, which is expected to begin in March this year, the state has roughly identified 3,000 villages where new work will be started, and 8,000 to 10,000 villages where maintenance and restoration work will be done. Villages will be selected by a district-level committee.

Eknath Davale, principal secretary of the agriculture and soil-water conservation department, said that efficient use of water was the focus of the second phase. “In the first phase, the focus was on creating decentralised water bodies spread across the villages of the state,” he said. “Now in the second phase, along with creating water bodies, we will concentrate on the efficient use and equitable distribution of water. To achieve this, we will fund villages and farmers through various schemes.”

Davale told HT that the government planned to give from ₹100,000 to ₹25 lakh per hectare to each farmer group comprising 20 to 25 farmers to be spent on a common water body which would be shared by the whole group. “We aim to assist 2,000 such farmers’ groups,” he said. “We will also provide ₹10 lakh per gram panchayat (village council) as a watershed development fund.”

Besides reviving the JSA on the government level, Fadnavis has involved his own team to ensure a political benefit along with the social benefits of the scheme. One of his trusted aides from his private staff has been entrusted with monitoring the implementation of the scheme. This officer will ensure the speedy and effective implementation of the scheme as well as private and corporate participation. “JSA 2.0 will be implemented in about two years,” said an office-bearer. “But the start of work and successful implementation of the scheme in 2023 to create water banks in these villages will translate into vote banks during the elections.”

Meanwhile, there is no word on the inquiry into the JSA project launched by the Thackeray government.