Godavari-Mahanadi river linking after consideration: Patnaik

With the Centre pressing for Godavari-Mahanadi river linking project, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday said the state government would take a concrete decision over the project only after a thorough consideration.

Holding a discussion with union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti here, the chief minister said the government would take the final decision over Godavari-Mahanadi linking project after thorough deliberation.

It was decided at the meeting that the officials of the Odisha government and the Centre would hold discussions over the river linking project.

Bharti said a total of Rs.30,000 crore would be spent on the project and the Centre would bear 90 percent of the cost of the project.

She said it would boost the agriculture sector and the drinking water problem would be solved.

Both leaders also discussed the controversial Polavaram irrigation project.

Expressing his dissatisfaction over declaring it a national project, the chief minister said the union government should give importance to the concern of the state in a federal system.

He said the Centre should take steps in relation to inter-state disputes.

It was decided at the meeting that officers of the state and central governments would discuss over different aspects of the Polavaram project, a statement said.

Earlier in the day, Bharti said the Centre would not interfere in the matter as it is an inter-state issue and the states should resolve the problems by sitting together.