Bhubaneswar: Leaders across parties Sunday slammed the Modi government for making a U-turn on setting up a Mahanadi tribunal to solve the water sharing dispute between Orissa and Chhattisgarh.
BJP leader Bijoy Mohapatra, CPI national secretary D Raja, and BJD MP PK Deb alleged that the Centre is favouring the BJP-ruling Chhattisgarh at the cost of Orissa.
Accusing the Central government for the delay in forming the tribunal, Raja said, “It is totally unfair on part of the Centre to ignore Orissa’s demand for a tribunal. If the Centre further delays the process, it is sure that the Union government is favouring Chhattisgarh, where BJP is in power.”
The CPI leader also alleged that the Centre is violating the federal system in the country.
Speaking to media here, BJP leader Mohapatra slammed the Centre, claiming that it has colluded with the Chhattisgarh government on the Mahanadi water dispute and working against the interest of Orissa.
“The Centre’s rejection for a tribunal in an affidavit before the Supreme Court is against the interests of the state. The move has hurt people’s self-esteem,” Mohapatra said.
“If the Union Water Resources Ministry had so many questions to raise, it could have asked the state government about the same earlier,” the BJP leader said.
He said the affidavit filed by the Centre implies that the points highlighted by Chhattisgarh are all relevant, whereas the issues raised by Orissa are menial, he added.
“As the water level in Mahanadi has already gone down, 16 affected districts of the state will face acute problem in the coming days,” he said.
This is not for the first time, the BJP leader has made statements deviating from party’s stand. Earlier too has had criticized his own party leaders and also the Modi government.
Mohapatra’s salvo has invoked sharp reactions from his colleagues in the saffron party. State BJP president Basant Panda said, “As he (Mohapatra) is a national execute member of BJP, we have appraised the national leadership about his way of functioning. They will take a final call in this regard.”
Similarly, party’s general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan dismissed the allegations as ‘illogical.’ Mohapatra has joined the ‘political drama’ started by BJD government on Mahanadi issue. “The party is seriously thinking about Bijay Mohapatra,” he said.
BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb backed Mohapatra’s remarks and accused the Centre of supporting Chhattisgarh, keeping in mind the upcoming elections.
However, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan refuted the charges.
“Such allegations should not be made just for the sake of gaining political mileage. The issue should not be taken in India-Pakistan sprit. The Centre is bringing a new act to resolve the inter-state water dispute in a single tribunal. Once it is set up, the issue will be resolved within three years,” Pradhan said.
However, BJD criticised the Union minister’s statement, saying it will further delay the process.
PNN
