BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday lambasted Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for rejecting the negotiation committee formed by the Centre to resolve the Mahanadi river water dispute with Chhattisgagh government.
Justifying the formation of a negotiation committee, Pradhan said section 4(1) of the Inter State River Water Dispute Act, 1956 gives an opportunity for settlement of disputes through negotiation before constitution of a waster dispute tribunal. The same procedure was followed before the formation of Vansadhara Tribunal. Though the State Government moved the Supreme Court in 2006 seeking a direction to the Centre for constitution of a tribunal, the apex court adjourned the matter following a request from the State for negotiated settlement of the disputes with Andhra Pradesh. "It (negotiation committee) is a last ditch effort by the Centre to resolve the inter-state water dispute.
"The Chief Minister is not very keen to resolve the dispute through negotiation as his basic motive is to keep the issue alive for narrow political gains," Pradhan told reporters here. He accused the Chief Minister of doing enormous damage to the State by giving precedence to his party's interest. To the objection raised by the Chief Minister on induction of members from non-contesting basin states like Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, Pradhan said the state government has made these states parties in its petition to the Centre for formation of a tribunal under Section 3 of the Inter-State River Water Dispute Act.
"It is ridiculous to ask the Centre about nomination of members from these state who have no stake in the dispute," he remarked. Criticising the "double standard" of the state government, the Union Minister asked the Chief Minister who prevented him from taking up the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi if he is not satisfied with the meetings convened by Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti. The Chief Minister has visited New Delhi several times in the past six months.
He has never cared to meet the Prime Minister to discuss the issue which is very important for the state, he said. Claiming that Naveen had agreed to the proposal for formation of a committee at the Chief Ministers' meeting presided over by Union Water Resources Minister, Pradhan said he changed his mind later at the instance of a subordinate staff. Proceeding of the meeting has been recorded and it will be put out as a proof at right time.