Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, August 10: A delegation of opposition parties led by leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra Wednesday submitted a memorandum to Governor SC Jamir seeking President Pranab Mukherjee’s intervention to halt ongoing constructions on river Mahanadi upstream in Chhattisgarh and formation of a river board to resolve dispute between the riparian states.
After submitting the memo, Mishra told reporters that the team has sought ‘immediate intervention’ of the President of India to ‘protect the interests’ of people of Orissa.
The memo urged the President to “Issue direction to Chhattisgarh government to immediately stop construction of all ongoing projects till the issue is resolved amicably.”
Meanwhile, instead of constituting a joint control board (JCB) between the two Mahanadi co-basin states, it has proposed “formation of a panel (by Centre) under River Board Act 1956 to resolve all disputes between the states.”
The representation suggested constitution of a tribunal ‘‘in case a river board is not feasible“ to take up the sensitive issue.
Notably, the all party meeting convened by Mishra August 3 had decided to submit the memo to the President. The meeting, however, was not attended by ruling Biju Janata Dal and the Orissa wing of Samajwadi party.
BJP state unit president KV Singh Deo was also part of the 16-party delegation. However, Mishra was the only MLA from Congress who was in the team that submitted the memo.
