The Mamata Banerjee government is unlikelyto meet the target of giving piped water to 1.77 crore households in rural Bengal under the Jal Jeevan Mission before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, suggests the progress of the project.

“So far, 64 lakh households could be given piped water under the project. Although the state government has laid stress on the completion of the project before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, it appears that achieving the target would be easier said than done,” said a senior government official.

The progress of the project in the state has left the ruling establishment in a spot as the failure to ensure piped water for all 1.77 crore households could be used by the BJP as a tool to counter the Trinamul Congress ahead of the general election.

“If the project is not completed before the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP can make it an issue holding the Mamata Banerjee government responsible for the delay. The government has engaged more than 500 engineers to complete the project on time, but it appears we will miss the deadline,” said the senior government official.

The Centre and the state shoulder the expenditure of the Rs 58,000 crore project on a 50:50 basis. The project was initiated by the BJP-led central government to supply water through pipelines to nearly 18 crore rural households in the country after it came back to power in 2019.

The deadline for completing the project is March next year.

The Centre did not hold back funds under the Jal Jeevan Mission as it did in the case of the 100-day job and rural housing schemes.

“So, the Trinamul Congress will not be able to counter the BJP if the saffron camp uses the non-completion card against it. Hence, the chief secretary held a meeting recently to give a push to the project,” said a source.

Sources at Nabanna said overall progress reports suggested many states might not be able to complete the project before March.

The Bengal government’s dilemma over whether to join the scheme led to a delay of nine months in the launch in the state.

“Bengal gave piped water to more than 30 lakh households in the past one year, which is better than many other states. But the delay of nine months to join the scheme has apparently caused irreparable damage,” said an official.