Facing criticism that it allegedly failed to provide safe drinking water even after remaining in power for over 17 years in Odisha, the BJD government today accused the Centre of not giving required funds for piped water projects.
"It is a fact that there is drinking water problem in the state. The state government has accepted it as a challenge. But the central government did not support us. The Centre reduced allocations for drinking water projects from Rs 230 crore in 2014-15 to only Rs 24 crore in 2016-17," state Rural Development Minister Badrinarayan Patra told the Assembly.
Replying to a debate on the water crisis, he said providing safe drinking water to all, is the responsibility of both the state and the central government.
Slashing of allocation has affected expansion of water supply infrastructure in Odisha, Patra said.
This apart, the state has not got any financial assistance from the National Disaster Relief Fund (NFRD) to deal with the prevailing water problems. The state government from its own resources has allocated Rs 351 crore for the purpose of setting drinking water supply infrastructure as a long term measure to resolve the crisis, he said.
He said the state government has decided to spend about Rs 300 crore from the 13th Finance Commission assistance and priority is being given to spend money from the 14th Finance Commission recommendations and the 4th State Finance Commission.
The minister said the state government has decided to set up an additional tubewell each in 27,711 partially covered villages this time in view of the prevailing situation.
"We have taken up eight major drinking water projects," Patra said, adding that the priority should be fixed on use of ground water.
"We are using ground water for all the purposes including agriculture, industries and drinking water. The industries are sucking a huge volume of ground water. Therefore, priority should be fixed as ground water reserves are also limited," he said.
To the criticism that the BJD government failed to provide drinking water to the people during its 17-year long regime, Patra said the drinking water crisis is a national phenomena this time due to severe drought.
The ground water level has also gone down further as there has been no rainfall since seven months.
Urban Development Minister Pushpendra Singhdeo, who
too participated in the debate, said the government has been taking all possible steps to ensure drinking water to the people.
"We have identified the hot pockets which faced acute water crisis and making provisions to give water through tankers, tanks and other means," Singhdeo said.
Earlier, BJP member K V Singhdeo alleged that a nexus of officers, engineers and contractors have come as hurdles before drinking water projects.
"In my Patnagarh Assembly segment in Bolangir district, the drinking water projects are not completed even in seven years. A school teacher has been awarded contract for different water projects," Singhdeo said.
Congress Chief Whip Taraprasad Bahinipati alleged that ponds and tanks in Jeypore town in Koraput district have been converted into residential colonies.
"It is a shame that the government has failed to provide drinking water to the people even though BJD ruled the state for over 17 years," Bahinipati said.
