BHUBANESWAR: The State Government today reiterated its resolve to fight for Mahanadi and Polavaram to safeguard the interest of the people of the state.
"Our fight for Mahanadi and Polavaram is beyond political or electoral gains. Since it is a fight for the rights of our people, the Government has stood firmly with the people to ensure our due share of water from Mahanadi river," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said in the Assembly amid protest from opposition Congress.
Replying to the motion of thanks on Governor's address, the Chief Minister said the state government has moved the Centre for constitution of a tribunal to resolve the issue and has approached the Supreme Court to prevent unauthorised construction by Chhattisgarh on upstream of river Mahanadi.
"The Government will leave no stone unturned to protect the interests of the people of the state on Mahanadi and Polavaram issue," he said.
Claiming that his Government has made significant achievements in all key areas of governance, the Chief Minister said financial position has improved significantly and the state is able to undertake various developmental activities from its own resources.
The State Government has fulfilled many of its promises including extension of infrastructure development scheme like Gopabandhu Gramin Yojana to the whole of Odisha despite closure of important schemes by the Central Government, he said.
Claiming that poverty eradication programmes are being implemented on a mission mode to create sustainable livelihood opportunities for rural households, the Chief Minister said the state government's thrust is to provide proper road connectivity, electricity, safe drinking water, sanitation and other infrastructure facilities to rural areas.
Stating that the Government is sensitive to the needs of farmers, Patnaik said Odisha is among the few states to have constituted an exclusive Agriculture Cabinet to look into issues relating to the welfare of farming community.
He said farm income has doubled in last 10 years and food grains production has touched an all time high of 118.24 lakh metric tonne in 2014-15, registering a growth of 22.7 per cent over 96.36 lakh tonne during 2013-14.
An additional irrigation potential for 2.94 lakh hectares of agriculture land has been created in the state in the last two years, Patnaik said.