The State government has issued guidelines for panchayats to purchase privately owned land needed for the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), the Centrally aided scheme for providing functional household tap connections to rural households.
Among other things, the guidelines require the formation of district-level purchase committees headed by the Collectors for finalising a reasonable price for the land.
Kerala is among the seven States with the lowest coverage under JJM which has a 2024 national-level deadline. Non-availability of land needed for establishing water supply-related installations has been cited as a reason why work is dragging.
The guidelines have been framed on the basis of a recommendation made by the Managing Director of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) — the main implementation agency for JJM in the State.
Identifying land
As per the guidelines, it is the responsibility of the KWA and the other two implementing agencies — Jalanidhi and the State Groundwater department — to identify suitable land and inform the grama panchayats concerned. The panchayat secretary will then seek an expression of interest from private parties who are willing to sell.
For fixing the price, an application will be filed before revenue officials, after which the panchayats can buy the land in accordance with prevailing norms. If there is a mismatch between the price quoted by the seller and the one fixed by the revenue officials, the purchase committee will step in to reconsider the price.
Purchase committees
Headed by the Collector, the eight-member district-level purchase committee will have as its convener the Deputy Collector (Land Acquisition) concerned. Knotty issues related to the purchases will be dealt with by the Chief Secretary-led State Water and Sanitation Mission.
Kerala needs to provide a little over 36 lakh connections more by 2024. In clearing the guidelines, the State government observed that land-related issues need to be sorted out quickly if Kerala is to meet the 2024 national-level deadline set for JJM. ‘‘Otherwise, there is a possibility that the Central assistance would cease and the State will incur heavy financial liability,’‘ it noted in the guidelines. The cost of implementing JJM water supply works is shared by the Centre and the States on a 50:50 basis.
