The BJD on Sunday said Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s statement that the Chhattisgarh Government has stopped water flow in the Mahanadi is made under compulsion and lacks sincerity.
BJD MP Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, general secretary Sanjay Dasburma and Finance Minister Shashibhushan Behera stated this at a Press meet held here. They posed three questions and dared Pradhan to show his sincerity for Odisha by action.
“Can you go to Prime Minister and urge him to direct the Chhattisgarh Government to stop construction of barrages on Mahanadi, cancel fresh tenders floated for three new barrages and ask him to take immediate action against Raman Singh for telling to forcibly use more water and none can stop ChhattisgarhIJ” wanted to know the leaders.
Alleging that the BJP is hoodwinking people by providing false information on the four year performance of the Narendra Modi Government, the BJD leaders said the stands of the Union Government, the Union Minister and the BJP should be clear.
“The BJD has been protesting against construction of barrages upstream the Mahanadi in Chhattisgarh since the year 2016. Since then, Pradhan has made different suggestions and statements. While he initially suggested for creation of a joint control board, later he said to mediate between Odisha and Chhattisgarh and then demanded that a whitepaper on Mahanadi from the Odisha Government. Consequently, he opined that the matter should be resolved through talks. But he has never said the construction of barrages should be stopped for the interest of farmers and Chhattisgarh should release adequate water into the Mahanadi during non-monsoon period,” remarked the leaders.