Odisha Jan Morcha chief and Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra on Saturday slammed the State Government for deciding to dig a major percentage of targeted tube wells in June when pre-monsoon and monsoon showers raise groundwater level. “The tube wells to be dug in June this year are likely to be dysfunctional in April and May 2016. You should direct the concerned engineers not to go for digging tube wells in June wasting large amount of public money,” Mohapatra stated in a letter sent to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Mohapatra wrote this letter referring to some media reports quoted EIC Bhagaban Sahu hoping that 75 per cent of targeted 30,000 tube wells would be dug by June-end. So far, only 5,000 tube wells have been completed. Mohapatra alleged the target of tube well digging by June 2015 was not achieved due to delay in purchase of pipes and the entire exercise was done to favour certain parties.