BHUBANESWAR: As Mahanadi water disputes continue to be a bone of contention between Odisha and Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday said his government has pursued the matter seriously with the neighbouring state for an early resolution.
Addressing a media conference at Balangir during his maiden two-day visit to the district, the Chief Minister said he had two rounds of discussions with his Chhattisgarh counterpart Vishnu Deo Sai on the issue.
"Our government has taken the matter seriously and we are hopeful of finding an early solution to the water disputes," Majhi said.
Targeting the previous government of doing nothing while the Chhattisgarh government constructed a large number of barrages on the upper catchment of the Mahanadi river, the Chief Minister said the state government is seriously considering executing the proposed barrages on the river to conserve water.
"We are committed to ensuring that Odisha's rightful share of Mahanadi water is protected. The state government is considering accelerating the implementation of key projects to address this issue,” he added.
The Chief Minister who inaugurated and laid foundation stones of 83 projects worth Rs 890 crore said, "This is my first visit to Balangir after the BJP government came to power in the state. I feel the district has been utterly neglected by the previous government."
He said the district was not given due importance despite strong leadership from different political parties. The new government will not leave any stone unturned to make it a frontline district.
Describing Balangir as one of the drought prone districts in the State, the Chief Minister said the state government has initiated measures to expedite all irrigation projects including check dams which were hanging fire for long.
"The main purpose of my visit to Balangir is to lay the foundation stone for the Upper Lanth Irrigation project which will be construed with an estimated cost of ₹300 crore. On completion, the project will irrigate 30,000 hectare land during kharif and rabi seasons. This apart the proposed hydro power project will generate 210 kw power," the CM said.