Bhopal- The Panchayat and Rural Development Department of Madhya Pradesh has directed district and block panchayats to recover a portion of the cost of water supply schemes under the Jal Jeevan Mission from villagers. In an official letter, Principal Secretary Deepali Rastogi stated that rural households will now contribute 5-10% of the total project cost as community participation. The amount will vary based on the village's social structure—villages with over 50% Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) populations will pay 5%, while others will pay 10%.

The move aims to foster a sense of ownership among villagers and ensure long-term sustainability of the schemes. The directive follows guidelines issued by the Union Jal Shakti Ministry in December 2019 and the Madhya Pradesh Gram Panchayat (Rural Water Supply Scheme Implementation and Management) Rules, 2020. Contributions can be made in cash, labor, or materials. For example, in an SC/ST-majority village with a ₹20 lakh project, residents will collectively pay ₹1 lakh, while general-category villages will contribute ₹2 lakh for the same cost.

Exemptions apply for families without stable income, such as Antyodaya cardholders, widows, disabled individuals, and the extremely poor. Payments can be made digitally for transparency, with receipts generated automatically. The department believes this approach will improve accountability and maintenance while enabling real-time monitoring through an integrated platform.

The initiative seeks to strengthen rural participation in the Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to provide piped water to every village. By involving communities in funding, the government hopes to enhance project efficiency and ensure reliable water supply for years to come.