Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Dr Sarat Chandra Mahapatra had to confront an embarrassing situation before Governor Raghubar Das in a programme here in Kakatput block under Puri district.

Dr Mahapatra was found offended when he dared to mislead the Governor on the Centre-sponsored Har Ghar Nala Jala Yojana for village people. Most amazing was that the ADM, rather than confessing his blunder, attempted to escape by shifting the blame on the villagers.

The incident took place at Biribant village under Abadan gram panchayat recently when the Governor was convening a public hearing on Central schemes of the Modi Government. When the Governor wanted to know whether they were getting tap water through Har Ghar Nal Jal Yojana provided by the Centre, the villagers straightway denied of availing benefit under such scheme. When Das sought a clarification, ADM Mahapatra replied that no funds had reached under the scheme.

In the meantime, a villager stood up and replied they were already getting piped water through the Basudha Yojana of the State Government. The Governor, with data in hand, asked about non-implementation of the scheme despite funds provision by the Centre. The ADM had to indirectly confess his mistake, when another villager revealed that the Central project had already been operational in the village but was renamed as Basudha Yojana. When reporters asked, the ADM blamed the villagers for not understanding the questions asked in Hindi by the Governor.   

According to the villagers, the 471 households in the GP already were getting tap water through ‘Har Ghar Nal Jal’ Yojana. But the same scheme had cleverly been renamed as Basudha Yojana.