New Delhi, Jun 15 (IANS): The central government has allocated Rs 2,522 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme for Rajasthan in view the drought and water scarcity problems and ground water pollution in the state, which is almost two-and-a-half times the amount given in the last fiscal.

"While Rs 1,051 crore was given to Rajasthan in the last financial year, Rs 2,522 crore has been allocated under the Jal Jeevan Mission this year, which is almost two- and-a-half times the allocation made in the last fiscal," a Jal Shakti Ministry statement said.

The Ministry said Rs 1,145 crore were also allocated to provide drinking water to fluoride-affected habitations in the desert state.

In the present situation, the state will have more than Rs 3,500 crore as the central share, including this year's funds, it said.

Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a letter to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot recently had drawn his attention to the "slow pace" of water life mission in the state.

The Minister said that there will be no shortage of funds for Rajasthan as the state government has more than Rs 7,000 crore available to provide domestic tap water connections this year.

Pointing out that clean drinking water remains a challenge in Rajasthan, the Jal Shakti Minister said drought-prone areas remained a cause of concern, apart from desert and chemical pollutants in the ground water in rural areas.

Shekhawat expressed his commitment to speed up the work of Jal Jeevan Mission in Rajasthan and sought to bring Gehlot's attention to the fact that only 1 lakh tap connections were released as against 18 lakh last year.

"Now, for 2020-21, a target has been set to provide tap connections to 35 lakh families."