A heated exchange erupted between members of the ruling party and the opposition in the Odisha Legislative Assembly on Tuesday over the issue of drinking water supply across the state.
The confrontation took place during Question Hour when Rabi Narayan Naik, Panchayati Raj Minister of Odisha, was responding to questions raised by legislators regarding drinking water availability in rural areas.
The debate began after MLA Durga Prasanna Nayak raised a supplementary question about drinking water supply in certain areas.
While responding, the minister criticised the previous government, stating that the former administration had installed around 26,000 tubewells over a span of 24 years, whereas the current government had installed the same number within just one year.
Naik also informed the House that a Mega Piped Water Supply (PWS) project has been planned for nearly 200 villages spread across 23 gram panchayats, which is expected to benefit around 1.5 lakh people.
However, he admitted that despite repeated follow-ups with the implementing agency, the project had not progressed as expected.
The minister pointed out that the drinking water situation becomes more challenging during the summer months, especially in eight tail-end panchayats that still face shortages.
He urged officials to take immediate steps to address the issue and deploy additional water tankers in affected areas if required.
The minister’s remarks triggered strong reactions from members of the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD), who objected to the criticism of the previous government. Members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responded, resulting in a brief but intense exchange inside the Assembly.
During the discussion, BJD Chief Whip Pramila Mallick raised concerns about reports of increasing cases of cancer and kidney disease in Palatapur panchayat of Jajpur district, allegedly linked to contaminated tubewell water.
She asked the government to clarify what steps were being taken to ensure safe drinking water for residents.
Meanwhile, Congress Legislature Party leader Ramchandra Kadam said that all mega drinking water projects were expected to be completed by March, which would significantly improve access to safe drinking water across the state.
He added that borewells had already been installed in several villages under the Vasudha Yojana, though drinking water concerns remain in some areas.
The discussion created a noisy atmosphere in the House before the Speaker intervened and restored order, allowing the proceedings to continue.
Minister Naik also informed the Assembly that the state government has set a target of providing drinking water to every household in Odisha by March 2027.
Currently, work is underway on 207 mega drinking water projects across the state.
As of March 5, drinking water connections have been provided to 68,47,752 families, covering nearly 77 percent of households.
The minister further stated that 26 mega projects have already been completed, while another 28 projects are expected to be finished by March.
Out of the total 44,531 villages in Odisha, drinking water projects have become operational in 11,777 villages so far.
Naik also alleged that progress had been slow during the previous government due to faulty Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), which led to the relocation of 18 intake wells. He added that the state currently has over 5,27,694 tubewells installed.
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