JAIPUR: Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday accused the BJP government of failing to meet its Jal Jeevan Mission targets, claiming it had provided fewer than 13 lakh tap water connections against a target of 45 lakh announced in two state budgets.
"People are waiting for water and contractors for payments," Gehlot said, alleging that delays in clearing contractors' dues had repeatedly stalled work and affected rural households awaiting water supply.
The Congress leader made the allegations while releasing the first episode of his social media video series, 'Budget Files', which highlights what he described as the gap between the BJP government's budget announcements and their implementation.
Questioning Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma's repeated comparison of his government's two-year tenure with the five-year Congress regime, Gehlot said the BJP had failed to match the number of tap connections provided by the previous government in a single year.
Citing official figures, he claimed that his government had provided tap connections to 13.88 lakh households in 2022-23 alone, while the BJP government's cumulative achievement over three financial years remained lower.
Gehlot also questioned the government over the pending target of 45 lakh connections, its promise to provide tap water to every household by 2025, and the timeline for clearing outstanding payments to contractors.