Jal Shakti Ministry Achieves 98% Fund Utilisation in 2024–25

💧 NATIONAL

Thematic Focus: Water Resource Governance | Budget Utilisation | GS Paper 2 & 3

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🕊️ Intro Whisper:

A drop reaches the thirsty only when money meets management.

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🔹 Key Highlights: Jal Shakti Ministry Achieves 98% Fund Utilisation in 2024–25

• Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS):
  • Allocation: ₹13,431.48 crore
  • Utilised: ₹13,216.34 crore → 98.39% utilisation
• Central Sector Schemes:
  • Allocation: ₹6,573.73 crore
  • Utilised: ₹5,376.73 crore → 81.79% utilisation

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📊 Compared to FY 2023–24:

• CSS fund utilisation then: only 49.45%
• Total CSS expenditure now: ₹15,804.73 crore (↑ from ₹10,059.15 crore)
• Fund release to states increased:
  • ₹2,902.73 crore → ₹4,756.48 crore
• SNA Balances dropped (indicates faster fund usage):
  • CSS: ₹2,404.98 cr → ₹1,347.38 cr
  • Central Sector: ₹1,293.50 cr → ₹608.63 cr

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⚙️ Why this improvement?

• Better coordination between Centre & States
• Streamlined release mechanisms
• Commitment to fast-tracking Ganga rejuvenation and river development

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📉 Challenges:

• Some data discrepancies remain due to delayed treasury/bank updates
• FY 2023–24 saw negative expenditure figures in reconciliation months

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🧭 Concept Explainer:

Public investment in water resources often suffers from “allocated but unused” syndrome. The 98% CSS fund utilisation is not just financial success — it reflects project traction, inter-state collaboration, and rising institutional capacity in India’s most urgent sector: water.

It shows that when finance flows faster than excuses, rivers begin to heal.

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🧾 GS Mapping:

• GS Paper 2: Cooperative Federalism | Centre–State Relations | Governance
• GS Paper 3: Budgeting | Water Resource Management | Public Investment Efficiency

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💠 A Thought Spark — by IAS Monk:

“Water waits for no one — neither should the funds meant to reach it.”