While addressing the public here on Thursday, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh assured that the lara project would be helpful in eradicating the power problems of 19 villages of Odisha. He stated to take necessary action in this regard after discussion with the Central Government.
Trying to clear the air that Mahanadi is dragged into an unnecessary controversy by the Naveen Patnaik Government for panchayat elections in Odisha, Singh sought to convince the people here that the row over the river can be resolved within minutes by the two Chief Ministers.
“Mahanadi water problem is not an issue at all,” he stated.
On the contrary, Singh advised the Odisha Government to provide roads and irrigation facility to 15,000 villages instead of creating a hue and cry over the barrages made in the river by the Chhattisgarh Government. He stated that 87 per cent of the water of the river goes waste and justified the barrages by Chhattisgarh what he said are meant for proper utilisation of the river water.
Brajrajnagar MlA Radharani Panda addressing the public criticised the BJD Government for politicising the Mahanadi water issue. Raigarh BJP MlA Roshan Agarwal, Chhattisgarh Corporation Chairman Chaganlal Mundra, senior district BJP leaders Subhas Chouhan, Dinesh Jain, Raghunandan Panda, Sushil Purohit, Sunil Panda and Charanan Sa spoke on the occasion.