Odisha made news for wrong reasons in 2016

Odisha was in the news in 2016 mostly for wrong reasons like Japanese Encephalitis claiming over 100 lives, malnutrition killing infants, a sex scandal, water war with Chhattisgarh, farmers' woes et al.
The Naveen Patnaik government faced embarrassing moments as the story of Dana Majhi, a poor tribal who had to walk over 10 km carrying his wife's body on his shoulder from a government hospital in backward Kalahandi district after being denied a hearse in August, made international news.
As the poor healthcare sector in the state stood exposed, financial help poured in from many quarters for 45-year-old Majhi, whose wife had died of TB at the hospital, while an educational institute offered free education to his three daughters in Bhubaneswar.

The BJD government was under attack throughout the year as many other issues including death of 25 people in a hospital fire in Bhubaneswar, high infant and maternal mortality rates, corruption and power crisis armed Opposition Congress and BJP with enough ammo.
In the words of state Odisha Congress chief Prasad Harichandan and BJP state president Basant Panda, the BJD government failed on all fronts and healthcare, education, and law and order machinery collapsed.
On its part, BJD, which is in its fourth term in power, accused the Centre of neglecting the state by slashing funds and claimed that its government is ably handling all issues.

The Opposition claimed that healthcare crumbled in the state saying more than 100 children died due to Japanese Encephalitis in tribal-dominated Malkangiri district in a span of about two months. The disease rapidly spread and six of the seven blocks of the district were badly hit.

The state government also drew flak following the death of at least 19 infants due to alleged malnutrition at Nagada village in mineral-rich Jajpur district within a short span during June-July.
Another tragedy which evoked widespread condemnation and outcry was the killing of five civilians, including three tribals and a child, in alleged firing by security forces on July 8 at Gumudumaha in Kandhamal district.

While Patnaik, who holds the home portfolio, came under sharp attack for the incident, politicians made a beeline to the nondescript village alleging highhandedness. Rattled by brickbats from many quarters, the state government ordered a probe by a special investigation team (SIT).
Yet another act of BJD government which drew severe criticism from many spheres was its handling of Mahanadi river water issue with neighbouring Chhattisgarh. BJD was up in arms demanding stoppage of construction of dams and barrages in upper reaches of Mahanadi in Chhattisgarh saying the projects would drastically reduce water flow into Odisha, hitting hard agricultural, industrial and other activities.

Odisha finally approached the Centre in November for
formation of a dispute tribunal to resolve Mahanadi water dispute with Chhattisgarh. The Opposition Congress, however, criticised the state government for "delaying" its approach for setting up a tribunal to resolve Mahanadi water dispute.
In another jolt to the ruling BJD, four of its MLAs, including a woman, were shown purportedly demanding hefty kickbacks to facilitate setting up of industrial projects in their respective areas in a sting operation aired by a news channel in August, triggering bitter attack from Opposition parties which termed the expose as a tip of the iceberg. Patnaik ordered a probe by the anti-corruption vigilance wing into the whole episode.

The year saw one of the worst fire tragedies in the state in October when a blaze in a private hospital here claimed at least 25 lives, caused mostly by suffocation and asphyxiation.
With the mishap exposing poor fire safety measures in medical facilities, irregularities in of granting licences and slack monitoring, senior BJD leader Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak had to resign as the Health Minister, while the owner and some senior officials of the hospital, run by a prominent group of educational institutions, were also arrested.
In what was termed as a sign of lawlessness by BJP, BJD supporters including some legislators allegedly pelted stones at the motorcade of Union ministers Santosh Gangwar and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti when they were proceeding to attend a rally at Bargarh, marking completion of two years of NDA government.

While some vehicles were damaged in the attack, BJD activists also allegedly ransacked a saree show room in the city, where Gangwar was scheduled to meet weavers. "If union ministers are not safe, the state government and chief minister should ponder whether common people can live peacefully here," was Gangwar's reaction.
Rowdyism in BJD also came to fore when a ruling party legislator and activists allegedly thrashed BJP supporters for showing black flags to two state ministers in Boudh district in July. The same MLA, Prashant Jagdev, later allegedly assaulted the Bolagarh Tehsildar. While OAS Officers Association was up in arms over the issue, Opposition parties accused the chief minister of shielding the BJD MLA.

Left-wing extremism continued to pose serious threat in many areas where violence was perpetrated at intervals.
The state government was slammed for delay in appointment of a Lokayukta, chairman of State Human Rights Commission, Police Compliant Authority and Security Commission.
Industrial scenario remained gloomy amid tardy and sluggish progress despite the state's claim of attracting crores of rupees of investments as many mega projects failed to make headway.
As the year drew to a close, the state was rocked by a sex video clip which went viral on social media as Bhubaneswar Mayor Anant Narayan Jena, who is also a BJD general secretary, was dragged into the controversy amid allegation that he featured in it.

The issue took a new twist as it was further alleged that the video clip was linked to the death of an engineering student in May.