Bhubaneswar: BJD president Naveen Patnaik Saturday raised questions over Odisha government’s “sincerity” in resolving the Mahanadi water dispute with Chhattisgarh and accused the ruling BJP of shedding crocodile tears over the matter.
The Mahanadi Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT), examining the river water row between Odisha and Chhattisgarh, Saturday rescheduled the hearing to March 14.
Patnaik, the Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly, in a post on X said, “It is now clear that the Odisha BJP government has no sincerity or commitment to saving the Mahanadi. The government is not taking this matter with any seriousness at all. They are just shedding crocodile tears.”
Odisha’s Advocate General Pitambar Acharya, who used to represent the state in the tribunal, was absent Saturday, which prompted Patnaik to make a comment on the Odisha government’s “non-serious action” to resolve the Mahanadi water dispute.
“Odisha’s Advocate General, representing the state, was absent from today’s hearing in the tribunal on the Mahanadi dispute. Was there any other important work for AG than Mahanadi’s protection that he could not be present to argue Odisha’s case in the tribunal’s hearing?” Patnaik asked.
The BJD president said the Mahanadi was the lifeline of Odisha, and its protection is paramount for the regional party.
“We will further intensify agitation seeking justice in the Mahanadi water sharing,” the BJD president said.
The Mahanadi Water Dispute Tribunal was formed by the central government in 2018 after the then BJD government alleged that the free flow of water in the river was illegally blocked by the Chhattisgarh government by constructing dams and barrages on the upstream of the river.
Replying to Patnaik’s remarks, Advocate General Pitambar Acharya in a post on X said, “In the Mahanadi case, @Naveen_OdishaI should have done an introspection before opening mouth. For seven years, Naveen Babu’s legal team had spent crores of rupees from the state exchequer and did not get the benefit of one paise.”
Acharya claimed that after the installation of the BJP government in the state and due to the positive thinking of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and the intervention of the Central government, both states (Odisha and Chhattisgarh) are now on the verge of resolving the dispute through negotiation.
Referring to Patnaik raising his absence in the hearing at the tribunal during the day, Acharya said, “The people of the state are aware of my presence and role in all the hearings at the tribunal. Since today’s hearing was only aimed at extending the duration of the tribunal, my presence was not needed at all.”
“Naveen Babu’s statement is completely depressing and seems like a delirium after waking up from a sudden sleep,” the AG said in a social media post.
Reacting to the Acharya’s social media post on Patnaik’s remarks, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty at a press conference said that the AG should refrain from making casual remarks on a sensitive matter.
Meanwhile, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said that the BJD government during its tenure did not oppose the construction of dams and barrages by the Chhattisgarh government.
“Now, they are raising their voice after completion of the construction. We have been trying our best to resolve the dispute through both dialogue and through the tribunal,” Pujari said.
Deputy Opposition Leader in the Assembly, Prasanna Acharya of BJD, alleged that the BJP was doing politics. “Odisha BJP government is putting party interests ahead of state welfare. The BJP-led Central government also remains a silent spectator,” Acharya alleged.
PTI
