JAGATSINGHPUR: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan criticized the state government for its failure to provide essential services to remote coastal villages in the Raghunathpur and Tirtol blocks, resulting in a severe drinking water crisis. He voiced these concerns during a meeting in Raghunathpur on Saturday, where he was felicitated by BJP party leaders.
Addressing the gathering, the minister emphasised that despite allocation of substantial funds by the Modi Government, these coastal villages were still grappling with lack of piped drinking water, inadequate infrastructure, and rampant unemployment. He pointed out that many villages lacked road infrastructure, housing schemes for the poor, street lighting, while power cuts had become a daily ordeal.
He further spoke about evidences of alleged corruption and misappropriation of funds in schemes like Aama Gaon Aama Bikash, leading to the arrest of numerous officials. “This underscores the prevalence of corruption at the grassroots level,” Pradhan said. The meeting was attended by former MP Bibhu Prasad Tarai, district BJP unit president Satyabrat Mohapatra, and other BJP leaders. Later in the day, Pradhan participated in the Golden Jubilee ceremony of the Kumar Utsav and the birth anniversary meeting of Ganakabi Baishnab Pani in Tirtol.