The BJD on Monday came down heavily on the Union Government for not constituting a tribunal to resolve the Mahanadi water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh even after 48 days of an order in this regard passed by the Supreme Court.
“The Supreme Court had on March 12 directed the Union Government to constitute a Tribunal in one month’s time to resolve the Mahanadi dispute. While 48 days have already passed, the Union Government has not sent any communication to the State Government regarding constitution of the tribunal,” lamented BJD Rajya Sabha member Prasanna Acharya and MlAs Debi Prasad Mishra, Sanjay Dashburma and Atanu Sabysachi Nayak at a Press conference here.
They too slammed the Centre for convening a meeting of Government representatives of five States, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, to New Delhi to hold discussion on the Mahanadi issue on April 16, 2018. “There is no need to convene such a meeting involving BJP-ruled States when the apex court has directed to constitute a Tribunal in a month’s time. This clearly raises suspicion over constitution of Tribunal,” they alleged.
When asked to inform whether the State Government would send representatives to the Delhi meeting, Dashburma said the Government will take a call on the same. However, he stated that the BJD would hold a symposium here on April 15 in which party district and State executives, MPs and MlAs of 15 districts across which Mahanadi flows would attend.
The leader too informed that the Jharkhand Government in connivance with the Union Government is planning to construct a barrage over the Maini river, a tributary of the Ib river for which Brajarajnagar, Jharsuguda and nearby areas of Odisha would be severely affected.
BJD State secretary Bijay Nayak was also present.