The Oppositions’ claim of the State Government furnishing untrue information regarding the Mahanadi water share issue in the State Assembly was on Tuesday substantiated by none other than ruling BJD spokesperson Pratap Keshari Deb.
“Government departments at times present false information in the Assembly as has been the case many times before,” said Deb, a former Minister, while responding queries of mediapersons about the discrepancy in the data presented in Assembly in 2010 and the data submitted to the Union Government recently for formation of a tribunal on the Mahanadi water dispute with Chhattisgarh.
He, however, asserted that the data furnished in the petition are conclusive and there is no scope for doubts.
“I want to make it clear that the data furnished in the petition are conclusive, and there is no scope for doubts Departments give wrong information in the State Assembly,” said Deb.
leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra, “We all consider the Assembly as a sacred place. The Chief Minister, however, lied to the House time and again, even on an issue as sensitive as the Mahanadi water sharing dispute. The BJD spokesperson exposed his lies. We condemn it.”
BJP State president Basanta Panda said the departments never provide false information.
“The Chief Minister only tells lies; and as a representative of the Chief Minister, Raghunath Mohanty had provided false information in the Assembly on the Mahanadi issue in 2010. This is an insult to democracy,” said Panda.