Bhubaneswar, March 23 (IANS) A war of words on Sunday ensued between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) over the Mahanadi water-sharing dispute following the meeting of chief ministers of Odisha and Chhattisgarh here on Saturday.
The principal opposition party on Sunday took a dig at the BJP saying that Chhattisgarh should first stop the ongoing construction work of barrages on the river for a fruitful deliberation on the issue.
Speaking on the discussions held during the meeting of CMs of both states, senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya said: “We welcome the discussions on the issue by CMs of both states. If both governments want a fruitful discussion and mutual solution to the issue without hampering the interests of Odisha, then the Chhattisgarh government should immediately stop the ongoing construction of work on various projects and hold discussions.”
He also noted that the ruling BJP, without making any complaints or blaming others, should now work to resolve the Mahanadi water-sharing dispute as there is a triple-engine government in Odisha, the Centre, and Chhattisgarh.
He also raised questions on the efforts to resolve the issue through dialogue between the chief ministers as the matter is currently in the tribunal.
“The Union government convened a meeting of the representatives of the two states in 2016 to resolve the issue. The center held three meetings on the issue. The then CM of Odisha went to the first meeting while skipped the rest two meetings. The previous BJD-led Odisha government moved to a tribunal only to serve its own political interests,” said Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan.
Harichandan said that the ruling BJP, which was in opposition then, had warned the BJD led government against approaching the tribunal due to its lengthy process.
He also stated that BJD should stop doing politics on the Mahanadi water dispute issue as the government will take all the necessary steps to resolve the issue at the earliest keeping in view the interests of Odisha.
Notably, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai met Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at the Lok Seva Bhavan during his visit to Odisha on Saturday.
The meeting, held in a cordial atmosphere, included discussions on several issues, with a key focus on resolving the Mahanadi water dispute amicably.
Both leaders agreed to prioritise the issue and explore peaceful and constructive pathways to resolve the dispute, ensuring the welfare of the citizens in both states.
It is pertinent here to mention that sharing of Mahanadi river water has been a bone of contention between the states of Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
Odisha has asserted that the Chhattisgarh government is constructing dams and weirs (small dams) upstream the Mahanadi river which affect the flow of the river downstream and affect drinking water supply.
–IANS
gyan/pgh
