Odisha: BJD Leader Admits, Water Project Delays Caused Poll Setbacks

Bhubaneswar: The Winter Session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly on Tuesday witnessed intense discussions on Tuesday over delays in drinking water projects, with senior BJD MLA Badri Narayan Patra making a striking admission. During the Question Hour, Patra attributed the party’s setbacks in the 2024 Assembly elections to voter dissatisfaction stemming from unfulfilled promises regarding drinking water infrastructure.

“I have personally experienced voters' anger over the non-completion of promised projects before the elections. Candidates who narrowly lost felt the brunt of this frustration the most,” said Patra, adding weight to the growing concerns over project delays.

Responding to inquiries on the state’s progress, panchayati raj and drinking water minister Rabi Narayan Nayak revealed a grim status report. Of 207 proposed water projects, only 16 have been completed, leaving 191 still in progress. The minister outlined an ambitious timeline for completion, targeting 56 projects by March 2025, an additional 54 by December 2025, and the remaining 81 by June 2026.

“The delays have been exacerbated by contractors who during the previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government misused funds, completing only minimal work such as laying pipes but failing to construct crucial structures like intake wells,” Nayak said. He accused previous contractors—many of whom hailed from outside Odisha—of siphoning off funds through incomplete and poorly executed work.

Senior BJD legislator Ganeswar Behera called for stringent action against errant contractors who “absconded after misappropriating funds.” Echoing these sentiments, Minister Nayak stated that these contractors had effectively taken away the “cream” of the allocated funds—approximately 58 per cent of the total—while leaving critical components of the projects unfinished.

“This has been a systemic failure that demands immediate rectification,” said Nayak, adding that the State government is now focusing on ensuring accountability and fast-tracking pending projects.

The admission by a senior BJD leader has added fuel to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s criticism, with the saffron party accusing the previous Naveen Patnaik government of neglecting basic public needs. Analysts believe that the delayed projects and resulting voter frustration underscore a critical vulnerability for the ruling party, which prides itself on delivering development in the state.

“The discussion in the Assembly has brought the spotlight back to the former Naveen Patnaik governance model in addressing rural infrastructure needs. For Odisha’s voters, the former government’s promise of accessible drinking water remained an unfulfilled expectation, turning the delay into a significant political issue,” said Prasanna Mohanty, a political analyst.