Bhubaneswar, Dec 7 (PTI) Chief Minister Naveen Patnaiktoday alleged that the Centre was no longer neutral in thematter of sharing of the Mahanadi river water between Odishaand neighbouring Chhattisgarh.
"What the Centre has done in the Supreme Court yesterdaysuggests that it is no longer a neutral referee in this(Mahanadi) matter," he told reporters after attending an all-party meeting called by Assembly Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat.
The speaker had convened the meeting in the wake of animpasse in the Assembly over the Mahanadi issue as the Centrehad not set up a tribunal for resolving the river waterdispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh, as demanded by theformer.
Apart from Patnaik, the meeting was attended by Leader ofOpposition Narasingha Mishra of the Congress, BJP legislatureparty leader K V Singh Deo and senior BJD leader Debi PrasadMishra among others.
Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, the chiefminister said, "As regards the Mahanadi issue, we have decidedthat a House committee will be formed.""We will have further discussion with the leaders of allthe parties to chalk out our future strategy," Patnaik, who isalso the president of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), said,while asserting that his party would fight for the interest ofthe people of Odisha, particularly the farmers.
Mishra said the House committee, which would be set up tolook into the Mahanadi issue, would take a decision as regardshow to go about the dispute.
"The next all-party meeting will be held after the nextSupreme Court hearing," he said, adding that the apex courtwas scheduled to hear the matter again on December 11.
Singh Deo said his party's stand on the Mahanadi issueremained unchanged and that the House committee should chalkout the next course of action.
However, he added that the state government should informthe other parties about Odisha's stand in the issue.
The Centre has told the Supreme Court that the ongoingdispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh should be sorted outthrough negotiations between the parties concerned. PTI AAM RGRC.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.