Cuttack, July 5: The Orissa government today conceded before the high court that it had been able to ensure supply of drinking water for less than 20 per cent of the 8,050 anganwadi centres (AWCs) devoid of the facility.

In a consolidated status report, the Orissa rural development department stated that only 1,316 centres had been provided with drinking water facilities.

Of them, 1,010 centres were functioning on government premises and 306 in private accommodation, principal secretary of the rural development department Surendra Nath Tripathy said in an affidavit.

According to the report, a total of 1,286 centres had been provided with hand pumps. While sanitary wells had been provided to 24 centres, the rest six centres received piped water facility.

The high court has been monitoring provision of drinking water facilities at anganwadi centres in Orissa while adjudicating a PIL on implementation of the special nutrition programme and the mid-day meal scheme.

Earlier on May 10, Tripathy filed an affidavit stating that 8,050 centres (2,776 on government premises and 5,274 in private accommodation) did not have drinking water facility.

Chief engineer of the rural water supply department had prepared a detail action plan to provide drinking water facilities to all these centres.

Work had already been taken up on war foot basis and efforts were being undertaken to complete installation of tube wells in at least 2,000 centres functioning on government premises by June 30, he said.

The court, however, directed on May 13 for “drawing revised plan to drill the tube wells in almost all the centres” by expanding the assurance for drilling of tube wells in respect of 2,000 centres by June end.