Bhubaneswar, (Reporters Pen): The previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government failed to ensure adequate piped drinking water supply to the people of Odisha, BJP state spokesperson Satyabrata Panda alleged on Thursday, citing findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
Addressing a press conference at the BJP state headquarters in Bhubaneswar, Panda said the CAG performance audit covering the period from August 2019 to March 2024 had raised serious questions over planning, monitoring and execution of the rural drinking water programme in Odisha. The audit found that the state missed its target of providing functional household tap connections to all rural households by 2024.
Panda said Odisha had 88.68 lakh rural households, of which 64.71 lakh households were reported to have received tap-water connections by March 2024. This meant around 31 per cent of households remained outside the targeted coverage, according to the figures cited at the press conference. The CAG audit also found a shortfall of 25.25 lakh functional household tap connections against the targets fixed for 2020-24.
Only two mega projects completed
Panda said the state had taken up 207 mega drinking water supply projects during 2019-24, including 133 projects being implemented under the Jal Jeevan Mission. However, only two projects had been completed in all respects by June 2024, according to the CAG findings.
The audit covered five districts—Balasore, Bargarh, Kandhamal, Malkangiri and Puri. It also pointed to shortcomings in participatory planning and implementation. District Action Plans were not prepared in any of the test-checked districts except Kandhamal, while Village Water and Sanitation Committees were not adequately involved in implementing and maintaining water supply schemes.
Panda questioned how the drinking water programme could be effectively implemented at the grassroots level when village-level planning and monitoring mechanisms were allegedly not functioning properly.
Concerns over water quality monitoring
The BJP spokesperson also raised concerns over water-quality testing and monitoring. He cited the audit’s findings on deficiencies in laboratory infrastructure, accreditation, manpower, training and equipment.
According to the figures cited by Panda, only a limited number of water-testing laboratories had the required accreditation or recognition, while several laboratories lacked both. The CAG findings also pointed to shortcomings in water-quality monitoring and surveillance.
Panda said adequate attention to the quality of drinking water was essential because access to a tap connection alone did not necessarily guarantee a safe and reliable water supply.
The CAG audit also found that 298 beneficiaries in 25 villages reported inadequate water supply for drinking, cooking and other domestic requirements. Failed water sources, irregular power supply and non-construction of overhead tanks were among the reasons cited for inadequate supply.
Demand for answers on implementation
Panda said the CAG observations had raised questions about the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission during the 2019-24 period and demanded that the facts surrounding the shortcomings be placed before the public.
He said the objective of the Jal Jeevan Mission was to provide safe and sufficient drinking water through functional household tap connections to every rural household. The mission was launched by the Centre in August 2019 with a 2024 target, though the programme has subsequently been extended.
Panda said the audit findings should be examined in detail and responsibility fixed wherever lapses were established.
State BJP spokesperson Tejeshwar Parida was also present at the press conference.
