By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, September 26, 2016 : The opposition parties on Monday stalled the proceedings in the Assembly protesting against the speech of chief minister Naveen Patnaik on the Mahanadi water row. The stalemate follows two days of long marathon discussion on the Mahanadi water row with Chhattisgarh.

Meanwhile, Patnaik on Monday told the Legislature that Chhattisgarh government has constructed eight major and 34 medium irrigation projects on the upper catchment of Mahanadi river.

In a written reply to a question from Kailash Chandra Kulesika (Cong), the chief minister said on the basis of information received from the union water resources ministry that another four major and medium projects each are under construction.

The chief minister said the Odisha government had sought information on Chhattisgarh government’s master plan for Mahanadi river basin, data on major, medium and minor irrigation projects and detailed reports on six barrages which are being constructed on the upper catchment of Hirakud dam.

Soon after the House assembled on Monday morning, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Part [BJP] and Congress legislators rushed to the well. Opposition chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati climbed atop the reporters’ table while shouting slogan against the chief minister.

Speaker Niranjan Pujari adjourned the House till 3 pm. Later when the House reassembled, there was no end to the ruckus prompting the Speaker to adjourn the House till 4 pm and call for a meeting for smooth functioning of the House.

As there was no outcome from the meeting, the Speaker adjourned the House till tomorrow. However, the House passed three bills- Odisha Municipal Corporation (2nd amendment) bill, Odisha Gram Panchayat (amendment) bill and VSSUT (amendment) bill.

Both Congress and BJP alleged that the chief minister is not keen to resolve the issue. “As there is a political crisis in Odisha, he (Naveen Patnaik) is trying to make Mahanadi as an issue ahead of panchayat polls, which was well envisaged from his speech”, BJP legislator Pradip Purohit said.

“We found nothing except abusing BJP, Congress and other opposition parties in his speech. We expected a unanimous resolution to be passed in the Assembly on Mahanadi water row thereby putting pressure on Centre and Chhatisgarh. It is unfortunate that chief minister did not do that”, Purohit remarked during the proceedings in the House.

Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra said the House wanted to know government’s road map to safeguard Odisha’s interest over Mahanadi. “The chief minister hid his government’s plan and programme. Perhaps, he has some hidden agenda on the issue. He is giving speech in the House only to mislead the people and is working outside to protect the interest of industrialists,” Mishra alleged.

“During the two-day discussion, members, cutting across party lines, agreed to protest Chhatisgarh’s move over Mahanadi row unitedly. Sad to say that chief minister did not take House into confidence”, he rued.

BJD, on the other hand, held Opposition members for disrupting Assembly proceedings. “Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik clearly stated that administrative and legal struggle will continue to protect the interest of Odisha. I do not understand what more the leaders of Opposition bench want? Why did they stall the question hour session in the Assembly?” BJD spokesperson Samir Das asked.