BHUBANESWAR: Even as the committee headed by deputy chief minister KV Singh Deo is set to visit Chhattisgarh for two days from January 31 to February 1 for holding talks with the government of the neighbouring state on the Mahanadi river water sharing dispute, the Opposition BJD and Congress have demanded a white paper from the Odisha government on the issue.
BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said the all-party committee under Singh Deo met on Saturday but did not discuss the latest decision taken by Chhattisgarh government to construct a barrage on the upstream of Udanti river, which will considerably impact agriculture in Kalahandi and Nuapada districts of Odisha.
Welcoming the decision of the government to send an all-party committee to Chhattisgarh, the BJD leader stated that the team should inspect the sand bund reported to have been constructed 12 km downstream of Kalma barrage. Mohanty demanded that after the on-field inspection, the government should come out with a white paper and discuss the issue in the next Assembly session.
Convenor of Mahanadi Bachao Andolan and Congress leader Sudarsan Das said that the committee during its discussion with Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai should raise the sand bund issue and decision to construct barrage on the upstream of Udanti river.
He also demanded a white paper on the dispute basing on the spot assessment of the high-level committee.
Das said as the tenure of the Mahanadi Water Disputes tribunal will end in March this year, the state government should make its stand clear on if it wants to follow the path of negotiation or pursue the legal option. Following both the options will lead Odisha nowhere, he said.