Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh has achieved an unprecedented milestone in the Jal Jeevan Mission, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister's office said in a press release.
Uttar Pradesh has become the first state in India to fully implement the Electronic Measurement Bill (EMB) software for billing within the Jal Jeevan Mission.
With the introduction of this billing software, companies operating within the Jal Jeevan Mission now receive payment within a mere 14 days. "The entire process being conducted online leaves no room for corruption. Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the largest state in the country to execute payments on such a large scale through EMB software. This accomplishment has been achieved before the ground-breaking ceremony," the press release said.
Prior to the implementation of the Electronic Measurement Billing System, companies working under the Jal Jeevan Mission faced delays of at least 41 days in receiving payments. This hindered the pace of work within the mission. However, with the introduction of EMB payments, companies now receive billing within a significantly shorter timeframe, thereby accelerating the progress of the Jal Jeevan Mission.
"In government departments, there are often complaints of corruption in billing. However, with the introduction of EMB in the Jal Jeevan Mission, stringent measures have been put in place to combat corruption in billing practices. Due to the entire process being conducted online, no officer or employee can unnecessarily delay the file," the press release further said.
Additionally, since the entire process is online, the officer can also monitor the file of any payment. Dr Balkar Singh, the Managing Director of Jal Nigam (Rural), said that in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Digital India programme and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's zero-tolerance policy, Jal Nigam (Rural) has completely digitised the billing process in the Jal Jeevan Mission. This digitization has not only expedited mission-related work but has also provided an effective mechanism to deter corruption.
The company engaged in the Jal Jeevan Mission initiates the process by uploading a bill containing all relevant details onto the online EMB platform upon completion of the work. Once uploaded, the junior engineer assesses the bill and adds their comments after verifying the provided data. Subsequently, the bill progresses to the assistant engineer, who also reviews and comments on it. Following this, a third party provides their approval. Subsequently, the executive engineer examines all the details and sends the file to the finance department online. Payments to the company are processed after thorough scrutiny by finance officers. This entire process is completed within a maximum time frame of 14 days. EMB is accelerating the pace of the Har Ghar Nal Yojana. "Payments exceeding Rs 140 crore are being made daily. Barely Rs 1000 crore could be paid in the first month. Now, on average, payments ranging from Rs 4000 to 5000 crores are made every month," the press release further added.
Uttar Pradesh became the first state in the country to fully implement EMB in the Jal Jeevan Mission. —ANI
