BHUBANESWAR: The state government has requested the Centre to extend the tenure of the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT) by another nine months.
Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari on Wednesday said the government has formally written to the Centre in this regard.
The tenure of the MWDT is set to be over on April 13 this year. The next hearing of the Tribunal is scheduled on February 7 where the Odisha and Chhattisgarh have been asked to place on record the progress to resolve the dispute through negotiation.
The MWDT had expressed its concern in a letter on January 23 over non-submission of the joint letter by Odisha and Chhattisgarh by first week of January, seeking extension of the tenure of the tribunal.
Pujari said the state government has also requested the Centre to mediate between the two states for an amicable settlement of the dispute. Alleging that the previous government’s incorrect data has been used by Chhattisgarh as a weapon to stall the process of amicable settlement, Pujari said the issue can be resolved through dialogue and mutual understanding.
“The Odisha government is hopeful that the Centre will facilitate a resolution to the issue, benefiting the people of both states,” he said.
The state government has formed a high-level committee headed by deputy chief minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo to negotiate with Chhattisgarh and resolve the dispute. The committee is working towards finding a mutually acceptable solution to the issue, he said and added that the chairman of the committee has already discussed with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on the issue.
Official sources said the committee is likely to visit Chhattisgarh soon for a discussion with their government on settlement of the dispute.