Jal Jeevan Mission scam: J&K's Mallabuchan villagers file formal complaint with ACB

By A Representative 

The residents of Mallabuchan village, Tehsil Pattan, Block Sherabad Khore, District Baramulla, have submitted a formal complaint to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on 14 July 2025, alleging corruption, misuse of public funds, and procedural fraud in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in their locality.

Filed through Er. Irfan Banka, Chairman of the J&K RTI Foundation, the complaint is backed by documentary evidence and Right to Information (RTI) replies. It highlights several serious irregularities, including false claims about the approval of the Village Action Plan (VAP) and formation of Pani Samitis by the Gram Sabha, and the illegal bifurcation of the village’s water supply between two districts. While Hurrah Mohalla was connected to WSS Narabal Magam in Budgam, Sofi Mohalla was forcefully linked to WSS Ahmadpora in Baramulla, without the knowledge or consent of the Gram Sabha.

Further, the complaint notes that water quality standards as per IS 10500:2012 have been completely ignored in Sofi Mohalla, where residents receive turbid and undrinkable water. It also alleges that no Implementation Support Agencies (ISAs), community mobilization efforts, or field water testing activities were undertaken in the village—despite large amounts of funds reportedly spent on these components. Dozens of households have allegedly received dual water connections under different schemes, while a significant portion of the village remains without access to safe drinking water.

In a strong show of protest, the Gram Sabha declared the Ahmadpora pipeline "dead" and publicly disconnected it, calling it a symbol of systemic failure and deceit. The villagers have made it clear they will not be held accountable for damage to non-functional infrastructure that has been formally rejected by the community.

A copy of the complaint has also been submitted to the Mission Director of Jal Jeevan Mission J&K and the Additional Chief Secretary, Jal Shakti Department, demanding immediate and corrective action. The J&K RTI Foundation has called for a time-bound, transparent investigation into the roles of departmental officials, implementing agencies, and elected panchayat representatives in what it terms a case of fund diversion, document fabrication, and denial of basic drinking water rights to citizens.