Jal Shakti minister to visit Bundelkhand, Vindhya villages for ground reality check on ‘Har Ghar Jal' progress
Uttar Pradesh's Jal Shakti Minister, Swatantra Dev Singh, is set to visit villages in the Bundelkhand and Vindhya regions to assess the on-ground progress of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in the state. The initiative aims to provide a real-time evaluation of the 'Har Ghar Jal' implementation and gather direct feedback from locals, particularly in regions that faced severe drinking water shortages before 2017.
The minister's visits will be conducted in phases, with nine districts included in the first phase of the evaluation. The inspection will also involve a detailed assessment of ground realities. During a high-level review meeting held on Tuesday, Singh instructed officials to prepare a district-wise list of villages where tap water connections have become a reality and to chart out a plan for his upcoming field visits.
In a stern message during the meeting, Singh warned that agencies showing negligence would face strict action, including jail time for those found guilty of irregularities. To ensure transparency and accountability, third-party inspections will be conducted, and daily reports will be submitted to the government.
The review meeting was attended by Minister of State for Jal Shakti Ramkesh Nishad, Additional Chief Secretary of Namami Gange and Rural Water Supply Department Anurag Srivastava, and other senior officials.
Expressing concerns over the slow pace of Jal Jeevan Mission work in Mirzapur, Srivastava directed officials to investigate implementing agencies Ramki Baba and Megha, and initiate action if discrepancies are found. He also directed ADMs and Executive Engineers to conduct regular block-level monitoring to ensure timely and effective execution of water supply projects.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Manipur Protesters Pour Petrol On Heads, Threaten To Self-Immolate Themselves On Camera
Last Updated: Violent protests erupted in Manipur's capital city on Saturday night, prompting the administration to suspend the internet services for five days. As tensions soared in Manipur's Imphal over the arrest of a key leader of the Arambai Tenggol (AT), Kanan Singh, a group of young men poured petrol on their heads and threatened self-immolation on Saturday night. The video of the incident has now surfaced on social media. This comes after protests erupted in parts of Manipur's Imphal after Singh was arrested by the security forces. Arson was witnessed on the roads as protesters burnt tyres and blocked the streets, prompting the administration to suspend internet services across five valley districts for five days. Manipur is arrest triggers Imphal opens fire. Curfew Northeast is slipping up, Delhi. #Manipur #ManipurViolence #Imphal — THE SQUADRON (@THE_SQUADR0N) June 7, 2025 In the protest videos, a group of young men wearing black t-shirts were seen holding bottles filled with petrol. One of them was heard saying, 'We gave up our weapons. We helped during the floods like we were supposed to. Now you're arresting us. We'll end our lives." Kanan Singh is the main accused in the February 2024 attack on the house of Additional Superintendent of Police Moirangthem Amit and the kidnapping that followed. At that time, Kanan was a head constable in the state police commando unit, but he was later suspended for neglecting his duty. The protesters were members of the Meitei volunteer group Arambai Tenggol, which had earlier been accused of attacking Kuki villages during ethnic clashes. They shouted slogans demanding the release of their leader and set tyres on fire on the roads. After the arrest, large crowds gathered, and the situation quickly turned tense. Roads were set on fire, and about 50 gunshots were heard in the area. Security forces were sent in to control the chaos. During the violence, angry mobs set fire to two buses and a jeep used by the security forces. Several CCTV cameras at major traffic points were also damaged. First Published:
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Espionage case: Punjab YouTuber Jasbir's police remand extended by 2 days
A Mohali court on Saturday extended for two days the police remand of Punjab-based YouTuber Jasbir Singh, who was arrested on espionage charges on June 4. Jasbir Singh, 41, was produced in the court after his three-day police remand ended on Saturday. Police sought a seven-day remand, but the court granted them two days, his counsel said. Jasbir Singh was in touch with influencer Jyoti Malhotra, who is in custody on charges of spying for Pakistan, and after his arrest, the police had said that it had unearthed a terror-backed espionage network linking him to Pakistani intelligence and army officials. 'Haryana Police had summoned Jasbir Singh on June 6 in the Jyoti Malhotra espionage case but before he could join the investigation, he was arrested by Punjab Police', Jasbir Singh's counsel Mohit Dhupar claimed on Saturday. He also denied the charge that Singh was an agent of Pakistan's spy agency ISI. Jasbir alias Jaan Mahal, a resident of Mahlan village in Rupnagar district, was running a YouTube channel 'JaanMahal Video' with over 11 lakh subscribers, ostensibly posting travel and cooking vlogs. After Singh's arrest, Punjab police had claimed that it unearthed a 'terror-backed espionage network' linking him to Pakistani intelligence and army officials. Police had said that the YouTuber was allegedly spying for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Dhupar said he met him in the court on Saturday. 'We spoke to him. There is no such thing that is being said in the media that he was an ISI agent,' said Dhupar, claiming he was just a vlogger. Dhupar said Singh was summoned by Punjab Police from May 17 till May 30. He had already given his mobile phone and laptop to the police, said the counsel. Dhupar said on June 2, Hisar police summoned Singh to join the investigation in the Jyoti Malhotra case on June 6. When Punjab Police came to know about him being summoned by the Haryana police, Singh was asked to appear on June 3 and he was arrested on June 4, said the counsel. Hisar native Malhotra (33) who was running a YouTube channel 'Travel with JO' was arrested last month. On May 13, India expelled Danish, who was posted at the Pakistan High Commission, for allegedly indulging in espionage. Jasbir was allegedly found to be associated with a Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO). He was in contact with a Pakistan high commission official who was recently expelled from New Delhi on charges of spying and had met Pakistan Army officials during one of his three visits to the neighbouring country, police had earlier said. He was allegedly in close contact with Jyoti Malhotra and was also associated with PIO Shakir alias Jutt Randhawa, cops said. The accused had also travelled to Pakistan on three occasions including in 2020, 2021 and 2024, and came into direct contact with ISI officers, who subsequently cultivated and recruited him to carry out espionage activities within India, police had said. Investigations revealed that Singh attended the Pakistan National Day event in Delhi on Danish's invitation, where he met Pakistani Army officials and vloggers. After Jyoti Malhotra's arrest, accused Singh had attempted to erase all traces of his communications with these PIOs to avoid detection, police had said.
The Hindu
13 hours ago
- The Hindu
Espionage case: Punjab YouTuber remanded to police custody
Haryana Police had summoned Punjab-based YouTuber Jasbir Singh on June 6 in the Jyoti Malhotra espionage case but before he could join the investigation, he was arrested by Punjab Police, Singh's counsel claimed on Saturday (June 7, 2025). He also denied the charge that Singh was an agent of Pakistan's spy agency ISI. A Mohali court on Saturday (June 7, 2025) extended for two days the police remand of Singh, who was arrested on espionage charges on June 4. Singh was produced before the court after his three-day police remand ended on Saturday (June 7, 2025). Police sought a seven-day remand of Singh but the court granted them two days, said his counsel. Jasbir Singh alias Jaan Mahal (41), a resident of village Mahlan in Rupnagar district, was running a YouTube channel 'JaanMahal Video' with over 11 lakh subscribers, ostensibly posting travel and cooking vlogs. Also read: Jyoti Rani's police didn't have access to secret information, says Police Singh was allegedly in close touch with Haryana-based influencer Jyoti Malhotra, who is in custody on charges of spying for Pakistan. After Singh's arrest, Punjab police had claimed that it unearthed a 'terror-backed espionage network' linking him to Pakistani intelligence and army officials. Police had said that the YouTuber was allegedly spying for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Speaking to reporters on Saturday (June 7, 2025), Singh's counsel, Mohit Dhupar, said he met him in the court on Saturday (June 7, 2025). 'We spoke to him. There is no such thing that is being said in the media that he was an ISI agent,' said Dhupar, claiming he was just a vlogger. Dhupar said Singh was summoned by Punjab Police from May 17 till May 30. He had already given his mobile phone and laptop to the police, said the counsel. Dhupar said on June 2, Hisar police summoned Singh to join the investigation in the Jyoti Malhotra case on June 6. When Punjab Police came to know about him being summoned by the Haryana police, Singh was asked to appear on June 3 and he was arrested on June 4, said the counsel. 'Punjab Police might have felt that if Haryana Police arrested Singh, it would be their insult', claimed Dhupar. The counsel said there was no mention of Singh being summoned from May 17 to May 30 in the FIR. Hisar native Malhotra (33) who was running a YouTube channel 'Travel with JO' was arrested last month. To a question on Punjab Police claiming that 150 Pakistani contacts were retrieved from his phone, Dhupar said there was no such thing. 'Many people visited Pakistan multiple times. Did they become guilty (of doing wrong) by visiting the neighbouring nation,' he said while replying to a question. On Pakistani YouTuber Nasir Dhillon's alleged link to a spy network, Dhupar said the police did not take Dhillon's name in the court while seeking Singh's remand. Nasir Dhillon, a former Pakistani police official, runs a YouTube channel 'Punjabi Lehar'. He has claimed to unite families divided during partition in 1947. His role is reportedly under investigation for possible links to the espionage network unearthed by Indian authorities. Asked whether Singh gave his laptop to Pakistani official Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, Dhupar denied it and said when Singh visited Pakistan, his laptop was examined for a routine security check. On May 13, India expelled Danish, who was posted at the Pakistan High Commission, for allegedly indulging in espionage. Jasbir Singh was allegedly found to be associated with a Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO). He was in contact with a Pakistan High Commission official who was recently expelled from New Delhi on charges of spying and had met Pakistan Army officials during one of his three visits to the neighbouring country, police had earlier said. He was allegedly in close contact with Jyoti Malhotra, who was earlier arrested by Haryana Police on espionage charges. Singh was found to be associated with Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO) Shakir, alias Jutt Randhawa. The accused had also travelled to Pakistan on three occasions including in 2020, 2021 and 2024, and came into direct contact with ISI officers, who subsequently cultivated and recruited him to carry out espionage activities within India, police had said. Investigations revealed that Singh attended the Pakistan National Day event in Delhi on Danish's invitation, where he met Pakistani Army officials and vloggers. After Jyoti Malhotra's arrest, accused Singh had attempted to erase all traces of his communications with these PIOs to avoid detection, police had said. The police had alleged that Singh was in touch with many Pakistan-based entities, including ISI agents and had been providing sensitive information about the movement of the Indian Army and other inside activities of the country to Pakistan.
