BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to intensify its campaign against the Centre and Chhattisgarh Government over the Mahanadi river water dispute, the BJD has started hectic preparations for a padayatra in the districts on the banks of the river.A meeting of all the senior leaders, MLAs, and observers of the 15 districts has been convened here Tuesday to discuss the strategy that the party would be adopting to intensify the agitation and fix the date for the padayatra. As part of the padayatra, a rally will be taken out during the day while at night the party leaders will halt at different villages and organise meetings to sensitise locals about the issue. The rally is planned for different constituencies on the bank of the Mahanadi river from Bargarh to Jagatsinghpur.
“We will expose the conspirators who are trying to make Mahanadi dry. We will reach out to the people over the issue,” Rajya Sabha MP and party’s spokesperson Prasanna Acharya said and added that the agitation will continue to protect the interest of the people of the State. Acharya said party leaders will discuss how to make the padayatra over the issue a success.
The Congress has come down heavily for politicising the Mahanadi river water dispute without any sincerity to resolve the issue. Only timely action can yield the desired result, he said and added, “Without united efforts, the effect will not be of much help. People also know that the ruling party is politicising the matter unnecessarily,” he said.
Meanwhile, Congress planning to stage agitation in the Western Odisha districts on the Mahanadi river water issue. The BJP has criticised the ruling BJD over the issue. Describing the padayatra as a gimmick to serve political interest of the BJD, a BJP leader said when efforts to utilise the water should be made when 50 per cent flows into the sea.