Chhattisgarh Commercial Tax and Industries Minister Amar Agrawal during his visit for the BJP’s Sabka Saath Sabka Vikash programme created a flutter by saying that the water of the Mahanadi river belongs to his State.
“Pani Hamara Hai,” Agarwal stated referring to the ongoing row between Chhattisgarh and Odisha over construction of dams by the former on the Mahanadi upstreams. He was addressing to mediapersons in the MCl guest house in Burla on Wednesday.
The Minister further admitted before media that their Government has already taken 15 years tax from different industrial houses during construction of the barrages in their State and agreed to provide them water that further confirms that a major chunk of the water that CG wants to tap will be diverted to the industrial houses.
Agrawal alleged that the BJD in Odisha is more interested in politics on the issue of Mahanadi water rather than solving the problem. “The meeting of the Chief Ministers with the Central Water Resources Minister in the national capital couldn’t be successful only for such attitude of Odisha Government,” said Agrawal further.
Talking about ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikash’, Agrawal said that the people all over the country appreciate the three years’ successful and fruitful completion of the Modi Government. “I have seen the people of Odisha to be quite happy with Narendra Modi as the PM and his performances,” the Minister claimed.
Agarwal could not give a satisfactory answer when asked why the BJP Government is celebrating three years’ completion at the Centre by squandering the public sector money and of MCl’s in particular in Odisha.