Raman Singh's Statement on Mahanadi Issue Deplorable, Says Pradhan

Bhubaneswar, Jun 1 (PTI) Senior BJP leader and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan today condemned the statement of his party colleague and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on the Mahanadi water dispute with Odisha saying it is "deplorable".

During BJP's Vikas Yatra in his state on May 29, Singh had said that nobody can stop Chhattisgarh from utilising Mahanadi river water. He had also said the Odisha government was trying to politicise the issue.

"Raman Singh's remark on the Mahanadi issue is deplorable. The people here have been saying that Chhattisgarh has a committed mistake. I also admit it," Pradhan, who hails from Odisha, told reporters here.

Asked whether Chhattisgarh was right in constructing barrages on the Mahanadi upstream unilaterally, he said, "It is a mistake. The tribunal would take appropriate action for such acts."

Manahadi has been a bone of contention between Odisha and Chhattisgarh with the former opposing construction work on upstream of Mahanadi by the latter and thus blocking flow of water to downstream.

Pradhan, however, said the stand of the Odisha unit of the BJP on the Mahanadi issue is clear. "Under no circumstances, there will be any compromise on the larger interest of Odisha over the Mahanadi issue," Pradhan asserted.

The Petroleum Minister came down heavily on the BJD government in the state for not taking any measure to conserve the Mahanadi water in the downstream areas.

"Why did the state government not take any step to conserve the river water in the downstream during its 18-year tenure in power," he asked.

On Pradhan condemning the Chhattisgarh chief minister, BJD spokesperson PK Deb said, "Finally Pradhan has said the truth."

Deb claimed that the overwhelming support of the people of Odisha during the BJD's Mahanadi campaign programme has forced the BJP to change its stance on this issue.

Deb said the BJP's stand on Mahanadi water dispute is not clear. "The prime minister during his recent address at a public meeting in Cuttack had furnished wrong information on the formation of a tribunal," the BJD spokesman alleged.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 26 hit out at the ruling BJD government in Odisha, accusing it of misleading people by sparking a row over the Mahanadi river water.

The Union Cabinet in February approved the setting up of a tribunal to resolve the dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh on sharing Mahanadi river water.

The Cabinet decision came following the Supreme Court directive to the Centre in January 2017 to form the tribunal to resolve the long-standing dispute.

The Odisha government had moved the court in December, 2016, seeking an order asking Chhattisgarh to stop its construction work in projects on the upstream of Mahanadi, saying it had affected the river flow in the State. It had also pitched for setting up of the tribunal.

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