Bhubaneswar: The committee formed by the Odisha government on Mahanadi River issues is set to visit Chhattisgarh for two days to hold talks as part of efforts to resolve the long-pending water sharing dispute.
Ahead of the panel’s visit to the neighbouring state beginning January 31, an all-party meeting will be convened on January 23 to finalise the state’s stand.
Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo, who heads the high-level committee, said that Odisha will present its position before the Chhattisgarh government based on the conclusions of the all-party meeting,
Noting that the next hearing of the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal is scheduled to be held on February 7, he said Odisha will place its arguments before the tribunal along with Chhattisgarh during the hearing.
Apart from discussing the issue at the all-party meeting, talks will also be held with the social organisation fighting in the interest of Mahanadi. “Thereafter, we will visit Chhattisgarh on January 31 for further discussion,” the Deputy CM said.
Singh Deo further informed that the tenure of the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal, which was constituted on March 12, 2018, is set to end on March 13. The state government has requested the Centre to extend the tribunal’s tenure to ensure completion of the adjudication process.
The meeting of the committee, chaired by Singh Deo, was attended by the Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari and Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, BJD MLA Niranjan Pujari, Congress legislator Sofia Firdous and the Chief Whip of the ruling party.
