**Executive Summary**
This document is the answer to Unstarred Question No. 697 addressed to the Minister of Jal Shakti regarding the under-utilisation of funds by the Department of Water Resources. It provides details on the budget estimates, expenditure, and measures taken to improve financial discipline and implementation oversight. The question was answered on 04.12.2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Budget and Expenditure (2024-25)**
* The initial budget estimate was Rs. 21,323.10 crore, revised to Rs. 21,640.88 crore.
* Expenditure till December 2024 was Rs. 12,655.52 crore (59.35% of Budget Estimate, 58.48% of Revised Estimate).
* Total expenditure for the full financial year 2024-25 reached Rs. 20,054.97 crore (92.6% of the Revised Estimate).
* No delays in fund disbursal have occurred, and the utilisation has not been low.
* **Measures for Financial Discipline and Implementation Oversight**
* Department of Expenditure implemented revised procedures for fund flow under central sector and centrally sponsored schemes.
* Utilized SNA-SPARSH, CNA, and TSA modules.
* Introduction of Project Monitoring Group portal to strengthen implementation oversight, monitoring, and issue resolution.
* The department has taken action to fill vacant posts, including technical positions.
**Impact Analysis**
**Ministry of Jal Shakti**
* **Impact**: The Ministry is required to provide an account of fund utilisation and outline measures taken to improve financial discipline and implementation oversight.
* **Action Required**: Continue to monitor fund utilisation and implement procedures for just-in-time fund flow. Continue filling vacant technical positions and utilize the Project Monitoring Group portal.
**Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation**
* **Impact**: The Department is under scrutiny for its fund utilisation rate. It must demonstrate efficient use of allocated funds and adhere to the revised procedures for fund flow.
* **Action Required**: Improve fund utilisation, and effectively use the SNA-SPARSH, CNA, and TSA modules. Continue to fill vacant positions and utilize the Project Monitoring Group Portal.
**Government**
* **Impact**: The Government is concerned with the efficient use of public funds and timely implementation of projects.
* **Action Required**: Monitor the effectiveness of the measures taken by the Ministry and Department to improve fund utilisation and project implementation.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Jal Shakti: The primary government ministry responsible for addressing the questions raised about the under-utilisation of funds.
Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation: A department under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, responsible for water resources management and river rejuvenation projects, and the focus of the fund utilisation questions.
SNA-SPARSH, CNA and TSA modules: Modules implemented by Department of Expenditure to ensure just in time flow of funds under central sector and centrally sponsored schemes.
Project Monitoring Group portal: Portal used for strengthening implementation oversight facilitating monitoring and resolution of issues under the projects.
Lok Sabha: The House of the Parliament where the unstarred question regarding under-utilisation of funds was raised.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 697
ANSWERED ON 04.12.2025
UNDER-UTILISATION OF FUNDS
697. SHRI RAJA RAM SINGH:
Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has noted that the Department of Water Resources utilised only fifty eight
per cent of its revised allocation of Rupees 21,640.88 crore for 2024-25 by the end of December 2024,
leaving nearly forty per cent unspent and if so, the details thereof;
(b) the reasons for persistent delays in fund disbursal and project execution, especially when funds are
approved early in the financial year;
(c) the reasons for Government’s continuously justifying low utilisation by citing post-monsoon
acceleration rather than instituting robust annual monitoring mechanisms;
(d) the status of pending proposals worth Rupees 3,000 crore along with the time by which these are
likely to be sanctioned and released; and
(e) whether the Government proposes to strengthen implementation oversight, fill vacant technical
positions and prevent critical water projects from being delayed due to administrative shortcomings and
if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI
(SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY)
(a) to (d) Budget estimate for Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga
Rejuvenation for Financial Year 2024-25 was Rs. 21,323.10 crore, which was revised to Rs. 21,640.88
crore at Revised Estimate stage. Expenditure of the Department against budget provisions till
December’2024 was Rs. 12,655.52 crore, which is 59.35% of Budget Estimate and 58.48% of the
Revised Estimate of the Department. However, expenditure during the full financial year 2024-25 has
been Rs. 20,054.97 crore, which is 92.6% of the allocation to the Department at Revised Estimate stage.
There have been no delays in fund disbursal nor has the utilisation been low.
(e) To further promote financial discipline, Department of Expenditure has recently implemented
revised procedure and just in time flow of funds under central sector and centrally sponsored schemes
through SNA-SPARSH, CNA and TSA modules. Further, introduction of Project Monitoring Group
portal has strengthened implementation oversight by facilitating monitoring and resolution of issues
under the projects. In addition, Department has taken necessary action for filling up of vacant posts,
including vacant technical posts.
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