However, BJD chief whip Ananta Das said the Centre and Chhattisgarh government have turned down the contention of Orissa to halt constructions taken up by Chhattisgarh government on Mahanadi upstream.
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Congress today accused Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of “failing” to announce any action plan to resolve Mahanadi water issue and that he “decided against taking any step” to stop projects on the river in Chhattisgarh in 2001 to benefit the industrialists.
“I put forth the demand to stop construction by Chhattisgarh government on Mahanadi”.
The Central expert technical committee set up to resolve Mahanadi Issue can not protect Odisha’s interest said CM Naveen Patnaik in the Assembly.
“It is clear that the Speaker is hand in glove with the ruling party as he blatantly fails to maintain neutrality”.
He further said the issue of Mahanadi had been created by the then UPA Government at the Centre and the BJP Government in Chhattisgarh. “These narrow political considerations in this sensitive inter-state issue jeopardise the interests of Odisha”, he said.
Alleging that the UPA government failed to discharge its federal responsibility causing great injustice to the people of Odisha, Patnaik said central funding of some of these projects has made the matter worse.
Besides, the opposition Congress and Bharatiya Janata party criticised the state government for its double standard over the issue.
People of Odisha would give BJD a fitting reply in next elections and they would no more be misled by Mr Patnaik’s cheap vote bank politics, they said.
Claiming that they were hopeful of an agreement of all members of the House would be sought by the Chief Minister to find solution on Mahanadi issue; the opposition alleged that Patnaik did not allow it to happen.
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Commenting on the all-party meeting called by Leader of the Opposition, Patnaik said it exposed inherent contradictions between the two major national parties, Congress and BJP, which were not only obvious in the meeting but also immediately after.
