Sambalpur: The ruling Biju Janata Dal called on opposition parties to unite across party lines to oppose the Chhattisgarh government’s plans of constructing barrages across the Mahanadi.
BJD deputy chief whip and Redhakhol MLA Rohit Kumar Pujari told mediapersons Thursday that his party would take its fight to the Centre in order to save the interests of people of the state and called on other political parties to join its cause.
“The proposal of the Chhattisgarh government is illegal,” Pujari said. “The neighbouring state as well as the Central government – both ruled by the BJP – have conspired to reduce power generation at the Hirakud dam and simultaneously hit the rice bowl of western Orissa,” the MLA added.
The Mahanadi originates in Chhattisgarh but most of the river falls in Orissa.
Pujari said the Chhattisgarh government should begin construction of the proposed barrages only after taking consent from the Central Water Commission (CWC) as well as the state government, something which the neighbouring state has not done till now. The state government came to know about the proposal to construct barrages from media reports since neither the CWC nor the neighbouring state bothered to inform the Orissa government about the proposal.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote to Chhattisgarh water resources minister Brijmohan Agrawal over the issue, but the latter has tried to mislead people by stating that the barrages won’t hamper the interests of Orissa farmers, the deputy chief whip stated.
Union ministers from the state should take up the issue in earnest and ensure that they put a stop to the projects in the greater interest of the state, Pujari said. PNN
