Bhubaneswar: BJP on Friday launched a sharp attack on the previous govt over the implementation of the Centre’s Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in Odisha, citing findings of a recent CAG report that has flagged flaws in planning, monitoring and execution of the rural drinking water programme between Aug 2019 and March 2024.Addressing the media at BJP state headquarters here, party spokesperson Satyabrata Panda alleged that the former BJD govt failed to ensure safe drinking water for a large section of the rural population despite substantial funding and ambitious targets under the scheme.Panda said while claims were made that tap water connections had been provided to 64.71 lakh households out of Odisha’s 88.68 lakh rural households by March 2024, nearly 31% of households remained uncovered, compared with the national average of around 24%.Referring to the audit, he further alleged that implementation of major drinking water projects suffered from severe delays. “Out of 207 mega water supply projects taken up during the period, only two were fully functional by June 2024. These figures indicate serious lapses in planning, monitoring and project execution,” Panda said.Opposition BJD dismissed BJP’s allegations, arguing that the state had made significant progress in expanding rural drinking water infrastructure during its tenure. BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said the BJP was selectively quoting portions of the audit findings while ignoring the scale of work undertaken across the state.“The previous govt had prioritised piped drinking water supply and achieved one of the fastest expansions of household tap connections in the country. Large infrastructure projects of this nature require time for completion, and many projects cited in the report were at advanced stages when the govt changed,” Mohanty said.
