BHUBANESWAR: With the Centre pressing for Godavari-Mahanadi river linking project, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday said the State Government would take a decision over the project only after a thorough consideration.
Holding a discussion with Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti here, the Chief Minister said the State Government would take the final decision over Godavari-Mahanadi linking project after thorough deliberation. It was decided at the meeting that the officials of the State Government and the Centre will hold further discussions over the river linking project.
Bharti said a total of `30,000 crore will be spent on the project and the Centre will bear 90 per cent of the project cost. The project, on completion, will boost the agriculture sector by creating irrigation potential for 4.43 lakh hectare (ha) land, including 3.52 lakh ha in southern districts of the State and solve the the drinking water problem.
The State Government is not very keen on the proposed river linking project due to large scale submergence. The project involves construction of a dam on the river Mahanadi at Manibhadra.The Chief Minister raised the controversial Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project at the meeting and expressed his displeasure over declaring it a national project.
The Chief Minister said the Centre should give importance to the concerns of the State in a federal system. It is the responsibility of the Centre to resolve inter-State disputes.
Earlier in Sambalpur, Bharti said that the Centre will not interfere in Polavaram issue as it is an inter-State issue and the States should resolve the problems through discussions.