Post News Network
Cuttack, August 4: The ruling Biju Janata Dal Thursday organised a demonstration near the district collector’s office here to protest the construction of barrages on Mahanadi river by neighbouring Chhattisgarh.
Senior BJD leaders, including Rajya Sabha MPs Prasanna Acharya and Narendra Kumar Swain and school and mass education minister Debi Prasad Mishra, threatened to intensify the party’s agitation on this issue.
The BJD leaders alleged that the Chhattisgarh government had taken unilateral decisions to build barrages on the Mahanadi, which is considered a lifeline for the people of Orissa. They also alleged that the BJB-led central government has conspired with Chhattisgarh to deny adequate Mahanadi water to the state.
The leaders asserted that the party will continue its fight to protect the interests of the state. They also criticised opposition Congress and BJP for not safeguarding the interest of Orissa during their rule at the Centre.
MLAs Ranendra Pratap Swain, Debashish Samantaray, Pravat Ranjan Biswal, Pramod Kumar Mallick and Chandrasarathi Behera, mayor Meenakshee Behera, zilla parishad chairperson Prashanta Behera, city BJD president Madhusudan Sahu and party’s district unit executive president Prafulla Singh were among those who participated in the agitation.
BJD activists also sent a memorandum to the President through the district collector.