The Congress on Tuesday invited Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to an all-party meeting tomorrow to discuss the Mahanadi water dispute with Chhattisgarh, even as the ruling BJD had earlier rejected such a proposal.
“Please attend the all-party meeting to be held at 11 am on August 3, to discuss about the water dispute,” Leader of the Opposition Narasingha Mishra wrote to the Chief Minister.
Mr Mishra had earlier sent two such letters to Mr Patnaik, but there was no response.
Meanwhile, other opposition parties -- BJP, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) Liberation and others -- have decided to attend the all-party meeting convened by Mr Mishra.
“The party, which avoids such an all-party meeting, is not good for the State. All parties should join hands to oppose Chhattisgarh’s act of constructions on the upstream of the Mahanadi river,” Mr Mishra said.
BJD spokesperson P. K. Deb, however, said: “Convening an all-party meeting on the Mahanadi water issue by the Congress is an attempt to cover up its own mistakes. The Kelo project in Mahanadi river was given clearance during the UPA regime in 2009.”
Asserting that the ruling party is dedicated to fight for the State’s interest, he said, the BJD MPs have raised the matter in both the Houses of Parliament and its activists, ministers and MLAs are demonstrating in districts across the State over the issue. - PTI
