A tense situation unfolded in the Odisha Assembly on Tuesday as members of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) engaged in a heated exchange over the issue of drinking water supply during Question Hour. The confrontation began when MLA Durga Prasanna Nayak raised a supplementary question while Panchayati Raj Minister Rabi Narayan Naik was responding to queries.
During his reply, Minister Naik criticised the previous government, stating that while the earlier administration installed around 26,000 tubewells over 24 years, the current government has installed the same number within just one year. He also informed the House that a Mega Piped Water Supply (PWS) project has been planned for 200 villages across 23 gram panchayats, expected to benefit nearly 1.5 lakh people.
However, he said the project had not progressed as expected despite repeated follow-ups with the implementing agency. The minister also highlighted the growing challenge of drinking water scarcity with the approach of summer, particularly in eight panchayats located in tail-end areas.
The remarks triggered objections from BJD MLAs, which led to a heated exchange with BJP members. During the discussion, BJD Chief Whip Pramila Mallick raised concerns over rising cases of cancer and kidney disease in Palatapur panchayat of Jajpur district, allegedly linked to contaminated tubewell water.
Congress Legislature Party leader Ramchandra Kadam said that all mega drinking water projects are expected to be completed by March, which could improve access to safe drinking water across the state. The Speaker eventually intervened and restored order in the House.
The minister also informed the Assembly that the government aims to provide drinking water to every household in Odisha by March 2027. Currently, work is underway on 207 mega drinking water projects, with drinking water already supplied to over 68.47 lakh families, covering about 77 percent of households in the state.
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