MNS leader Kailas Darekar protested with live chickens in Beed’s Ashti taluka, accusing officials of bribery in the Jal Jeevan scheme. Villages remain waterless despite central promises.
Ashti Taluka, Beed District, 8 July 2025: Despite the ambitious ‘Har Ghar Jal’ initiative being promoted under the Jal Jeevan Mission led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, its implementation in Ashti taluka of Beed district remains far from satisfactory. While Konkan and Madhya Maharashtra are witnessing heavy rainfall and rising dam levels, Marathwada—especially Beed—is still struggling with a major water crisis.
Many villages in Ashti have not received even a single drop of water under the scheme, sparking frustration among locals. To highlight this ongoing neglect and alleged corruption, Maharashtra Navnirman Shetkari Sena’s district president Kailas Darekar launched a unique protest on Monday.
Gathering in front of the Panchayat Samiti office, Darekar and his supporters arrived with live chickens, sarcastically calling them a ‘gift’ for the officials. The symbolism was loud and clear—”If the officials need bribes for every task, then let them have a chicken party, but at least give water to the people.”
Darekar accused local authorities of demanding bribes (‘chirimiri’) to move files or act on grievances. He challenged them to stop corruption in the Jal Jeevan Mission and fulfill the basic right of water supply to drought-hit villages. The unusual method of protest has drawn widespread attention and sparked debate in the region.
While the Jal Jeevan Mission aims to deliver tap water to every rural household, the implementation gap in Marathwada paints a grim picture. Citizens are still roaming with pots and buckets, dependent on tanker water or distant wells—a contradiction to the mission’s name itself.
The protest has created pressure on the district administration to respond quickly, but no official statement has been made yet.
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