Non-BJD parties meet to resolve Mahanadi water dispute

An all-party meeting attended by non-BJD parties today resolved to ask the Odisha government to approach the Centre for setting up a tribunal to resolve the Mahanadi water dispute with neighbouring Chhattisgarh.
"The all party meeting attended by all non-BJD parties has resolved to ask the state government to demand formation of a tribunal for resolving the Mahanadi water issue," Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra told reporters after the meeting.
While the ruling BJD boycotted the meeting, representatives of BJP, Congress, TMC, Left parties comprising CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) Liberation, Ama Odisha and Samata Kranti Dal participated in the discussion on Mahanadi water issue.

Apart from BJD, the Samajwadi Party also stayed away from the meeting convened by Mishra. A number of civil rights groups and NGO representatives also attended the meeting.
"Though Samajwadi Party had earlier assured us of attending the meeting, it withdrew at the last minute," Mishra said.
The meeting also resolved to set up a joint committee comprising representatives from different parties and organisations within seven days.

Terming the all-party meeting a success, he said they would submit a memorandum addressed to the President through Odisha Governor in regard to the Mahanadi water dispute on August 10.
"Since it is a dispute involving two states, we will seek the President's intervention," Mishra said.

Participants of today's meeting expressed doubts about efficacy of the bilateral agreement signed between Odisha and Madhya Pradesh in 1983 in solving any issue on Mahanadi waters and suggested the state government to push for the constitution of a tribunal to bring the issue to a logical conclusion.
"As per the 1983 bilateral agreement between Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, a joint control commission should be set up. The Chief Minister should press the Centre to set up a tribunal on the Mahanadi issue. If the state writes for a tribunal, the Centre is bound to write to the Supreme Court on this matter. Logically the tribunal is bound to submit its report within three months," Mishra stated.

The ruling BJD, however, criticised the meeting presided over by Mishra.
"It was not at all an all party meeting as claimed by Mishra. The state presidents of both Congress and BJP did not attend the meeting," BJD spokesman P K Deb told reporters.
Deb claimed the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Prasad Harichandan did not approve such a meeting chaired by Mishra, the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and also claimed the AICC did not endorse such a meeting.
Though BJP state president Basant Panda did not attend the meeting, BJP legislature party leader K V Singh participated in the meeting.