Bhubaneswar: Opposition Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday came down heavily on the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) over poor turnout of treasury bench members in the House during a discussion on Mahanadi issue.
As normalcy restored in the House after two days, the Mahanadi issue was taken up for discussion through a motion by the ruling BJD in which members of Congress and BJP actively participated and asked the state government to take opposition
parties into confidence and stay united while fighting for Orissa’s interest.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly Narasingha Mishra asked the state government to clear its stand on the dispute. He, however, vented his anger at the ruling party when there were only 35 to 40 members present on the floor of which a half was from the opposition parties.
Mishra alleged that despite having a brute majority of 117 the absence of ruling party members from the House during the discussion on an issue, which had kept the House on boil for last two days, shows the concern of the government and ruling party over Mahanadi waters.
“They are interested in this issue as it would help them gain mileage ahead of panchayat elections,” the LoP added.
Taking on the Chief Minister for his absence from the House during the debate, Mishra said, “At a time when their leaders were raising this issue on several forums, the CM is absent from the discussion. Is this the way you fight for the rights of people?” he quipped.
Echoing a similar voice, BJP leader Pradip Purohit also targeted the ruling party over thin attendance of treasury bench members during the discussion. “Where the ruling party members have gone now who were protesting on streets, holding kalash yatras and stopping goods trains over Mahanadi dispute,” the saffron party leader said.
Meanwhile, the LoP, during the debate asked the state government to come up with a white paper on the issue and also suggested that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approach Prime Minister for formation of a tribunal under the guidance of Supreme Court to resolve the dispute.
BJD member Amar Satpathy, however, said the ruling party is always concerned about resolving the dispute and it is the ruling party which moved the motion for discussion. The debate remained incomplete and would be taken up Saturday again, he added.
However, BJD chief whip Ananta Das said the Centre and Chhattisgarh government have turned down the contention of Orissa to halt constructions taken up by Chhattisgarh government on Mahanadi upstream.
Industries minister Debi Prasad Mishra in his address expressed concern over the issue and said the way Mahanadi’s water inflow is receding, it may go dry by 2026.
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