Centre writes to Odisha, seeks date for tripartite meeting on Mahanadi water dispute

BHUBANESWAR: Even as the tug of war between Odisha and Chhattisgarh over Mahanadi river water continues, Centre has asked the state government to propose a date for the tripartite meeting in New Delhi to be attended by chief ministers of the both the states to resolve the issue.

Centre's letter in this regard has reached the state government on Friday. However, the Chhattisgarh government is yet to provide all the information sought by the Odisha government on the dams and barrages constructed by it over Mahanadi river.

The Chhatisgarh government is yet to submit full information sought by the Odisha government, BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb said and added that the state government has sent a reminder. "The Odisha government had requested the Chhattisgarh government to provide information on ten points, but it has provided information on seven points," Deb said.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik will take a review meeting before the meeting at New Delhi proposed by union water resources minister Uma Bharti. The Odisha government will place all its demand at the tripartite meeting, he said.

Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh government has criticised the Odisha government for not providing any information sought by it. Water resources minister of Chhattisgarh Brij Mohan Agrawal today alleged that the Odisha government is yet to provide any information sought by it and playing politics over the issue.

A delegation of BJP leaders from Odisha led by Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan had called on   Bharti in New Delhi on August 23 and requested her to sort out Mahanadi water dispute at the earliest.

Bharti had announced after the meeting that she will hold a meeting with the chief ministers of both the states on a mutually convenient date between September 10 and 20, 2016 in New Delhi to ensure that no injustice is done to Odisha.