Bhubaneswar, Dec 2: The Odisha Assembly turned stormy during Question Hour as allegations of large-scale corruption in the Har Ghar Nal — ‘Har Ghar, Nal Se Jal’ scheme, a part of India's Jal Jeevan Mission — and mega drinking water projects dominated proceedings.

BJP MLA Pratap Chandra Nayak demanded a vigilance probe against former Panchayati Raj Minister Pradip Amat and departmental officials, claiming that duplicate pipes were installed instead of Tata pipes under the scheme, leading to misappropriation of funds.

Nayak alleged that the previous government oversaw widespread irregularities, with pipes purchased and laid without ensuring water supply. “There were taps but no water,” he said, urging strict investigation and accountability.

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Responding to the charges, current Panchayati Raj Minister Rabi Narayan Naik accused the former government of “buying pipes and looting funds.” He stated that nearly 80% of pipes were purchased and laid without functional water connections.

Naik contrasted this with the current government’s performance, highlighting that in just 17 months, 22 mega projects have been completed, compared to only three during the previous regime. He added that over 4,791 households have already received water connections under the Har Ghar Jal scheme.

The debate intensified when BJD MLA Sujata Sahu raised concerns about delays in the mega drinking water project in Jajpur district. She pointed out that construction began in 2017 and was scheduled to finish by 2022 but remains incomplete. Sahu questioned the minister on actions taken against contractors responsible for the delay.

In reply, Naik promised that water supply would reach the region by March 2026, stressing that the previous government failed to complete the project in eight years. “Your government (BJD) could not achieve in 8 years what you now expect from us in 17 months,” countered Naik, assuring the issue to be resolved by March 2026.

Congress MLA Sofia Firdous also demanded vigilance investigation into why advance payments were made to contractors despite work not starting. She highlighted that the previous government had announced 207 mega drinking water projects worth ₹35,000 crore, but many remained stalled. Firdous questioned why 17 Tamil Nadu-based contractors were awarded contracts and sought Speaker’s ruling for a probe.

Minister Naik, in his response, noted that the current government has completed 25 mega projects and 66 more are 90% finished. He criticized the earlier regime for awarding contracts to Tamil Nadu firms, remarking that had Odia contractors been engaged, the work might have progressed better.

He signalled that investigations into corruption in mega projects could move forward, with blacklisting of companies involved in irregularities.

The issue of drinking water projects—critical for rural households—has now become a flashpoint in Odisha’s political discourse, with vigilance probes likely to follow.