Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, August 1: Claiming that the Kelo irrigation project in Chhattisgarh was cleared without informing Orissa, the state government Monday said it was not even consulted by the Central Water Commission (CWC) before it gave its approval.
“We want to clarify that Orissa government had not received any letter from the Chhattisgarh government as reported by a section of the media. Media reports said Orissa was given two letters in July and September 2008 by the chief engineer and the water resources secretary of Chhattisgarh,” Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi told reporters here.
Stating that there was a meeting of the CWC in January 2009 in which the Kelo project on Mahanadi had been cleared by the CWC, Padhi pointed out that the state government was not even invited to the meeting for consultation as a co-basin state. It is clear that the Kelo project was approved behind our back.
“The documents that we have collected from our own informal sources clearly show that Orissa was not invited to the meeting. Even after the clearance of the project, Orissa was not informed about it. It is clear that the Kelo project was approved behind our back. The CWC also cleared the project without consulting us,” Padhi said. Continued on P5
