Bhubaneswar: The Mahanadi Bachao Andolan (MBA) has urged the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India to conduct a special audit and compliance audit of the state government’s expenditure of Rs 2,41,13,950 incurred during the visit of the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal to the state between February 26 and March 2, 2026.
In a detailed public interest memorandum submitted to the CAG, the organisation sought an independent examination of the expenditure, stating that the objective was to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of public funds. MBA convener Sudarshan Das clarified that the memorandum was not intended to level allegations against any individual or institution. Instead, he said, it was aimed at ensuring that public money spent on matters of significant public interest is subjected to constitutional audit. Das said the Mahanadi water dispute directly affects the water security, agriculture, livelihoods and environment of millions of people in Odisha, making it imperative that all government expenditure related to the issue be transparent and accountable.
The memorandum is based entirely on official documents obtained from the Water Resources department under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. According to the RTI records, the Odisha government sanctioned a total of Rs 2,41,13,950 for the Tribunal’s visit. Of this, Rs 1,45,55,480 was spent on the Tribunal’s visit to the Upper Mahanadi region, while Rs 95,58,470 was allocated for the Lower Mahanadi region.
The RTI documents provide a detailed break-up of the expenditure for the Upper Mahanadi visit, including payments of about Rs 84.11 lakh to MM Event Management and Rs 53.95 lakh to Mayfair Hotels and Resorts, besides other expenses. However, Das alleged that no detailed expenditure statement was provided for the Rs 95.58 lakh reportedly spent on the Tribunal’s visit to the Lower Mahanadi region. The memorandum has requested the CAG to examine whether the expenditure was incurred in accordance with the General Financial Rules (GFR), Odisha Financial Rules and prescribed government procurement procedures. It has also sought verification of whether the principles of economy, transparency and financial discipline were followed in the utilisation of public funds, whether due procedures were adopted while engaging private agencies, and whether complete expenditure details relating to the Lower Mahanadi visit should be made public. Copies of the memorandum have also been forwarded to the Principal Accountant General (Audit-I), Odisha, the Chief Secretary, the Principal Secretary of the Water Resources department, the Engineer-in-Chief, the Accountant General (A&E), Odisha, and the Chairperson of the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal.
