New Delhi, June 9: Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Tuesday participated in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Exchange Ceremony under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0 between the Government of Sikkim and the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, reaffirming the state's commitment to ensuring sustainable and equitable access to safe drinking water.
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| Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang participates in the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0 MoU Exchange Ceremony with the Ministry of Jal Shakti in New Delhi on Tuesday. (Image: facebook.com/cmpsgolay) |
The ceremony was held in New Delhi in the presence of Union Minister for Jal Shakti C.R. Patil and senior officials from the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the National Jal Jeevan Mission and the Government of Sikkim.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Tamang expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ministry of Jal Shakti for the successful implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission across the country. He said the programme had significantly improved access to safe drinking water in rural areas and transformed the lives of millions of people, including residents of Sikkim.
The Chief Minister acknowledged the support extended by the Government of India in overcoming the unique geographical and infrastructural challenges associated with developing water supply systems in Sikkim's mountainous terrain. He noted that the state's difficult topography often requires specialised planning and substantial investment to ensure reliable drinking water connectivity in remote areas.
Reaffirming Sikkim's commitment to the objectives of Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, Tamang highlighted the importance of sustainability, source protection, water quality monitoring and long-term maintenance of water supply infrastructure. He stressed that these aspects are particularly important for a fragile Himalayan state such as Sikkim, where environmental conservation and resource management are closely linked.
The Chief Minister also urged the Ministry of Jal Shakti to consider extending central assistance for retrofitting and capacity augmentation projects that had been approved or initiated before the notification of the Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 guidelines. He pointed out that the state had undertaken several such projects under earlier norms and invested significant resources with the expectation of receiving central support.
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According to Tamang, continued financial assistance for these projects would help strengthen water infrastructure and ensure the successful achievement of the mission's long-term goals.
The programme was attended by the Secretary of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, the Mission Director of the National Jal Jeevan Mission, the Secretary of the Rural Development Department, Government of Sikkim, and other senior officials from both the central and state governments.
The MoU exchange marks another important step in the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, aimed at ensuring sustainable drinking water security, improved service delivery and enhanced water management systems across the country.
