BHUBANESWAR: A day after the Supreme Court expressed disappointment at the Centre for going back on its words to form a tribunal to resolve the Mahanadi water sharing dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh, the BJD on Tuesday accused the central government of double standards.
Speaking to reporters outside the assembly, BJD legislator Sanjay Dasburma said the Centre opposed the tribunal in the Supreme Court even though on August 10, then Union minister of state Sanjeev Balyan had made a statement in Lok Sabha about the Union government's decision to form a tribunal. He had made a similar assertion in Rajya Sabha on July 31.
"It was as an afterthought that the central government, in an affidavit in the Supreme Court, informed about its intention to set up a unified tribunal for all river disputes. One should understand that Odisha has sought a tribunal a year ago while the law for the unified tribunal is yet to be enacted. The delay is costing Odisha dearly because the neighbouring state is hurriedly completing various projects taking advantage of the situation," said Dasburma, who also raised the issue in the assembly during zero hour.
"Unfortunately, the Centre supported the illegal activities of the Chhattisgarh government, which has been unilaterally constructing projects on Mahanadi upstream at a time when Odisha is fighting the case in Supreme Court," Dasburma added.
Reacting to the charges, BJP MLA Pradip Purohit questioned the need for the BJD to raise the issue in the assembly when the matter is sub-judice in Supreme Court. "The state government should collect all the relevant data and fight the case with sincerity in the state's interest. Nobody can dispute the apex court verdict," Purohit said.
The BJP legislator claimed the state government did not act on the Mahanadi issue with sincerity from the beginning.
"Initially, the BJD government was on denial mode saying Chhattisgarh projects would have no impact on Odisha. The government hasn't provided any clarity on the extent of the impact so far," Purohit added.
Speaking to reporters outside the assembly, BJD legislator Sanjay Dasburma said the Centre opposed the tribunal in the Supreme Court even though on August 10, then Union minister of state Sanjeev Balyan had made a statement in Lok Sabha about the Union government's decision to form a tribunal. He had made a similar assertion in Rajya Sabha on July 31.
"It was as an afterthought that the central government, in an affidavit in the Supreme Court, informed about its intention to set up a unified tribunal for all river disputes. One should understand that Odisha has sought a tribunal a year ago while the law for the unified tribunal is yet to be enacted. The delay is costing Odisha dearly because the neighbouring state is hurriedly completing various projects taking advantage of the situation," said Dasburma, who also raised the issue in the assembly during zero hour.
"Unfortunately, the Centre supported the illegal activities of the Chhattisgarh government, which has been unilaterally constructing projects on Mahanadi upstream at a time when Odisha is fighting the case in Supreme Court," Dasburma added.
Reacting to the charges, BJP MLA Pradip Purohit questioned the need for the BJD to raise the issue in the assembly when the matter is sub-judice in Supreme Court. "The state government should collect all the relevant data and fight the case with sincerity in the state's interest. Nobody can dispute the apex court verdict," Purohit said.
The BJP legislator claimed the state government did not act on the Mahanadi issue with sincerity from the beginning.
"Initially, the BJD government was on denial mode saying Chhattisgarh projects would have no impact on Odisha. The government hasn't provided any clarity on the extent of the impact so far," Purohit added.
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