Harbhanga/Boudh, Odisha (Sarbeshwar Kheti): Major concerns have emerged over the Lift Irrigation Project Irregularities at the Sri jagannath Pani Panchayat Lift Irrigation Project. This is located in Lokapada under Karanjkata Gram Panchayat of Harbhanga Block. The project began on January 5, 2022, and was reportedly completed by May 4, 2022. It has now turned into a hot topic among local farmers and residents.
With an estimated cost of ₹36,98,036 and designed to irrigate 24 hectares benefiting 36 farmers, the project was expected to transform local agriculture. However, before it even became fully operational, burst pipes and technical failures surfaced. This exposed poor construction quality and negligence by the professional contractor Sailendra Kumar Pradhan.
Locals allege that the substandard work has not only wasted valuable public funds. It also dashed the hopes of farmers who depended on the project for their crops. As a result, frustration and anger are growing rapidly among villagers.
Prominent local farmer and social worker Shishir Kumar Dhal has urged the district administration to take immediate action and complete the project on a war footing. “If authorities fail to respond soon, we will be forced to stage a protest on the highway,” warned the villagers.
The Lift Irrigation Project Irregularities have once again highlighted the urgent need for accountability and transparency in rural development projects. Locals are now demanding strict supervision and punishment for those responsible for this costly lapse.
