Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Tuesday participated in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) exchange ceremony under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0 between the Government of Sikkim and the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India. The event was held in New Delhi in the presence of Union Minister for Jal Shakti C.R. Patil.

During the ceremony, Prem Singh Tamang expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Jal Shakti for the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission, stating that it has improved access to safe drinking water in rural areas, including Sikkim.

He noted the support of the Government of India in addressing challenges related to water supply infrastructure in the mountainous terrain of Sikkim. He also reiterated the state’s commitment to Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, emphasizing sustainability, source protection, water quality, and long-term maintenance, particularly in the context of the Himalayan region.

The Chief Minister further requested the Ministry to consider central assistance for retrofitting and capacity augmentation projects that were approved or initiated before the notification of JJM 2.0 guidelines, stating that these works were undertaken under earlier norms with significant state investment.

The ceremony was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Jal Shakti, including the Secretary, Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, the Mission Director of the National Jal Jeevan Mission, along with officials from the Government of India and the Government of Sikkim.