Sambalpur: The Mahanadi’s water is like lifeblood for all Oriyas, and the Chhattisgarh government is conspiring to cut off that lifeline of the state by building a dam and a barrage on the upper catchment area of the river, said agitating members of the ruling Biju Janata Dal here.
BJD workers handed over a memorandum to this effect to the district collector demanding stoppage of barrage construction and early payment of minimum support price of paddy to the farmers. Led by convener of youth BJD and food and civil supplies minister Sanjay Dasburma, party workers staged a sit in before the collector. The memo was submitted to ADM Yudhisthir Nayak in the absence of the collector. A protest rally was also held on this occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Rajya Sabha member Prasanna Acharya said the BJP-led government at the Centre has stooped down to politics of intolerance over the Mahanadi issue since the state has been getting honoured for the last couple of years for its success in the field of agriculture. The Union government is playing with the lives of 4.20 crore Oriyas, he added. Lambasting the Chhattisgarh government, Acharya said the neighbouring state has hatched a plan to decrease power production and engineer a drought and flood situation in the state. The neighbouring state has violated the federal system of the Constitution by constructing a barrage without taking the consent of the Orissa government, the Rajya Sabha member said.
The BJD has launched its war for the rights of the state from Sambalpur, which is the soil of many heroes, Acharya said, adding that it was unfortunate that the BJP and Congress have undermined Orissa’s interests for their small political gains. The fight would be spread in a phased manner to other districts as well, Acharya said.
Other party members demanded that the Centre should instruct Chhattisgarh to stop the barrage construction immediately.
Among others who were present during the protest included handloom and textiles minister Snehangini Chhuria, Bhatli MLA Sushant Singh, Redhakhol MLA Rohit Kumar Pujari, chairman of Western Orissa Development Council Kishore Mohanty, Sambalpur MLA Raseswari Panigrahi, Rengali MLA Ramesh Patua, Sambalpur MLA Nagendra Pradhan and Bargarh MP Prabhas Singh. PNN
