Naveen raises Mahanadi, Polavaram, MSP hike issues at Inter-state meet

Bhubaneswar: As expected, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today demanded for immediate stoppage of all construction activities taken up by Chhattisgarh on Mahanadi basin during the 12th Standing Committee meeting of the Inter-State Council held at New Delhi on Saturday.

Patnaik also demand for constitution of a Tribunal for resolving the Mahanadi dispute at the earliest.

Besides Mahanadi, Odisha also raked up the issue of Polavaram project in Andra Pradesh as it would affect hinterland in Malkangiri district.

At the council meeting, the Chief Minister also raised other crucial issues and concerns of the State before the Centre with emphasis (em-pha-sis) on the spirit of cooperative federalism.

“I have urged to discontinue Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh as it will impact people in Malkangiri adversely. Apart from this, I have also demanded for increasing the minimum support price for common paddy to Rs 2,930,” Patnaik added.