By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, July 17, 2016 : The Biju Janata Dal [BJD] will raise the issue of construction of barrages in the upper catchment of Mahanadi River by Chhattisgarh government in the upcoming monsoon session of the Parliament.

“We will raise the Mahanadi barrage issue and put forward our demands in the Parliament,” BJD floor leader in Lok Sabha Bhartruhari Mahtab on Sunday told reporters.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had raised the issue of construction of barrages in the upper catchment of Mahanadi River by Chhattisgarh government only on Saturday.

Briefing reporters on the agenda of the party in the session, he further added that his party will demand levying of a 1% cess to benefit mineral-bearing states.

“The way the Central Government is doing a preferential treatment to Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Maharashtra is not fair. We want the 1% cess benefit to be extended to other mineral-bearing states including Odisha as manufacturing states,” he added.

He further made it clear that Biju Janata Dal will support the GST Bill if it is tabled in the Parliament with certain amendments.

The monsoon session of Parliament will be held from July 18 to August 12. The Union Government is in favour of passing the GST bill in the monsoon session.