BHUBANESWAR: Ahead of the second phase field visit of Mahanadi River Water Disputes Tribunal to Chhattisgarh from Saturday, politics over the issue has intensified in the state. The BJD lashed out at the Congress and BJP for their “anti-Odisha stance” on the issue and asked the parties to put pressure on the governments at Chhattisgarh and the Centre to intervene and resolve the dispute.
The BJD maintained the state government had demanded an end to illegal construction activities by the Chhattisgarh government when it came to know about construction of barrages by it. The state government also forced the centre to hold a tripartite meeting at New Delhi to resolve the issue, BJD leaders Shreemayee Mishra and Swayam Prakash Mahapatra told media persons here.
The BJD leaders alleged when the state government wanted the Centre to intervene in the matter, an Odia Union minister instead of supporting the interests of people of the state on Mahanadi, sided with Chattisgarh. The minister tried to pressurise the state government in vain to cooperate with Chhattisgarh.
The BJP supported Chhattisgarh when the Odisha government approached the Supreme Court and demanded construction of barrages on Mahanadi be stopped, they alleged.
Coming down on Congress, the BJD leaders demanded the party to put pressure on its government in the neighbouring state to resolve the issue and not take an antagonistic stand vis-a-vis Odisha. Countering the ruling outfit, BJP media cell chief Dilip Mallick said mere sloganeering will not solve the water dispute between the two states. “I wonder what the government was doing for the last 23 years.
Writing letters and giving statements through partymen would not help the case. What was the government doing when Chhattisgarh built the barrages,” he asked. Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahanipati said leader of Congress legislature party Narasingha Mishra had requested Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to call an all-party meeting over the issue which was never done.