By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, January 21, 2017: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP] Bijoy Mohapatra on Saturday stirred up a hornet’s nest by criticising his party run central government for constituting a negotiation committee to assess availability and utilisation of water in Mahanadi and its tributaries.

“The panel will fail to solve the Mahanadi water sharing dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh. There was no necessity to form a negotiation committee. There is no way a decision made by this committee will solve the Mahanadi water sharing dispute. There is no reason why anyone will abide by its decision,” Mohapatra — a former state water resources minister told reporters.

He also lamented that the Center is not being just in defending the interests of the state.

“The way it is being taken forward, it will only complicate the issue further. Formation of a tribunal would have addressed the issue. Beyond what Odisha would have gotten from the tribunal, the fact remains that everyone would have abided by its verdict. I believe trying other methods other than a tribunal is against the interest of the state,” he added.

Mohapatra said, he would stay away from the campaign for panchayat polls indicating dissent in his party. The senior leader had not been taken into confidence before the visit of party president Amit Shah yesterday, he added.