The Odisha Legislative Assembly witnessed a stormy debate on Friday as members discussed grants for the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department.
The opposition BJD and Congress launched sharp attacks on the ruling BJP government, while BJP legislators countered with demands for investigations into alleged scams under the previous BJD regime.
To begin with, opposition leaders raised issues such as delays in providing free sand to PMAY beneficiaries, poor implementation of MGNREGA, mass migration for labour, failure to supply clean drinking water, and alleged political poaching of sarpanches and block-level leaders.
BJD legislator Arun Kumar Sahoo accused the BJP government of “poaching” elected panchayat representatives through unwritten agreements. He warned that those refusing to join the ruling party would face trouble. Furthermore, he criticised the government for failing to deliver free sand for house construction under the Awas Yojana. He also condemned the decision to increase the financial powers of BDOs to Rs 10 lakh, calling it an attempt to weaken the three-tier panchayati raj system.
Congress MLA Ashok Das added that funds for several schemes had not reached block levels even in the current financial year 2024-25. He alleged large-scale misutilisation of resources and demanded accountability.
On the other hand, BJP MLAs hit back strongly. Bibhuti Bhushan Pradhan claimed that thousands of crores were handed over to Tamil contractors during the BJD regime, leaving projects incomplete after only laying pipes. Moreover, Sanatan Bijuli asserted that the present government is reviewing abandoned projects and ensuring last-mile delivery of welfare schemes to the poorest citizens.
Finally, several other members, including Subasini Jena, Pabitra Saunta, Amar Nayak, Arabinda Mohapatra, Mangu Khila, Dushmanta Kumar Nayak, Manas Datt, Ashok Kumar Mohanty, Bhada Hansda, and Agasti Behera, joined the heated debate, making the session one of the most intense of the winter sitting.
READ IN ODIA: https://epaper.pragativadi.com/edition/2531/bhubaneswar-06-12-2025/page/5#
