Jal Jeevan Mission in Karnataka: CAG report flags serious violations of tender norms
The state government is reportedly disinterested in implementing tripartite agreements. In May 2025, it issued an order stating that such agreements were not feasible
The Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to provide safe drinking water to every rural household, has been progressing sluggishly in Karnataka. Amid allegations of poor-quality work and misuse of funds, a CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India) report has flagged serious violations of tender norms, including awarding multiple projects to a single contractor.
The report states that the tendering process for Jal Jeevan Mission works lacked transparency. Thousands of projects were awarded based on single bids, without assessing the technical capability or execution capacity of the contractors.
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Out of a total of 38,231 works finalised across the state, as many as 9,342 were awarded to a single individual or contractor. As per Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) guidelines, in cases where there is no competition in bidding, approval must be obtained with proper justification. However, the report notes that such procedures were not adequately followed.
For instance, a bidder with login ID S42250 was awarded 210 contracts, of which 108 had only a single bidder. Similarly, another bidder (S18394) secured 190 contracts, with 100 of them having no competing bids. Interestingly, among the top 10 contractors who handled multiple works, six were the sole bidders in more than 50 per cent of their projects.
What is govt’s justification?
The state government had stated in May 2025 that due to time constraints in implementing and completing the Jal Jeevan Mission, contracts were awarded to single bidders to speed up execution. It also said that single bids were considered in accordance with finance department guidelines before awarding contracts.
Tripartite agreements not implemented
The Jal Jeevan Mission guidelines require tripartite agreements to ensure accountability, transparency, and coordination among stakeholders. However, the CAG found that such agreements were not implemented in several districts.
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As per norms, these agreements should involve district water and sanitation missions, gram panchayats, village water and sanitation committees, and other supporting institutions. The failure to implement these agreements has weakened the scheme, the report notes.
The CAG observed that the absence of tripartite agreements led to delays, poor coordination, and compromised quality of work. Disputes between implementing agencies and gram panchayats further slowed progress.
Government rejects tripartite agreements
It is reported that the state government itself showed reluctance in implementing tripartite agreements. In May 2025, it issued an order stating that such agreements were not practical.
The government clarified that rural infrastructure works under the mission would be executed by the Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department (RDWSD) based on village action plans approved by Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs). After completion, operations and maintenance would be handed over to these committees. It also stated that large-scale water supply schemes would be implemented along with operation and maintenance through contractors.
Conditions not followed?
The finance department had stipulated that the tender-inviting authority (TIA) should ideally cancel tenders in such cases. Only in exceptional situations, if the tender premium exceeds 5 per cent, negotiations may be held with bidders through the e-procurement portal.
The audit found 791 cases where the tender premium exceeded 5 per cent out of the 9,342 single-bid cases. The premium ranged from 5 per cent to as high as 61 per cent. The CAG stated that citing “mission mode” cannot justify all these cases, and therefore rejected the government’s explanation.
It also recommended that the state must ensure contracts are awarded only after considering the contractor’s actual capacity to handle the workload.
There have been numerous complaints about substandard work in various districts.
(This article was originally published in The Federal Karnataka)
