Mahanadi water row to rock House today

Bhubaneswar: The Mahanadi water row is likely to rock the Odisha Assembly today as a debate on the issue is scheduled to be held on basis of a motion moved by the ruling party yesterday.

While the BJD will bring the attention of the House on how Chhattisgarh managed to build barrages on the upper catchment areas of Mahanadi, the Centre’s cooperation for these projects and role of the Central Water Commission, the Opposition will try to corner the ruling party in the House on presentation of its wrong information and ignorance about the projects of the neighbouring state on Mahanadi.

The Working Advisory Committee of the House yesterday decided to hold the debate on the Mahanadi water row today.

Ananta Das, the government chief whip, said, “After the Question Hour, the discussion will be held on the motion moved by the ruling party. Though the Opposition had given the motion in the House initially, we amended it a bit and placed again for a debate.”

Informing about the scheduled debate in the House, Narasingha Mishra, Leader of Opposition, said, “From Day 1, we had been demanding for a debate on the Mahanadi issue. But the State government agreed to discuss today.”