BHUBANESWAR: The BJD has reiterated its demand for an early resolution of the Mahanadi river water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
Raising the issue, BJD Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra demanded that all illegal constructions by Chhattisgarh government on the upper end of the river should be stopped and Odisha given the rightful share of the Mahanadi water.
The BJD MP had raised the issue in a question in the Rajya Sabha. Replying to the question, Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Social Justice and Empowerment Ratan Lal Kataria said Centre constituted the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal on March 12, 2018 for adjudication of the dispute. The reference of water dispute requested by Odisha Government was made by the Centre to the tribunal on April, 2018, he said and added that hearing before the tribunal is going on.
Patra, however, said he is not satisfied with the Minister’s reply. Stating that there has been no progress in adjudication during the last two years, he said there was no response to the points raised by him in the question. The questions was also raised during the zero hour, he said.