By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, December 9, 2017: Stung by the Narendra Modi government’s volte face on the issue of formation of an interstate tribunal to resolve its dispute with neighbouring Chhattisgarh over sharing of river Mahanadi water, the Odisha government on Friday filed a counter affidavit.

Accusing the Centre of misleading the apex court, the state government in its 60-page affidavit in its submission has countered Centre’s argument against the constitution of a tribunal on a point to point basis.

“The affidavit filed by the Central government in the Supreme Court is based on false information. We condemn it in the strongest of terms. The State government has filed its counter affidavit,” informed BJD spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Pratap Keshari Deb speaking to reporters.

Though the Centre has initially agreed to set up a tribunal to resolve the dispute, it chose not to do that is in contravention of the provisions of the Interstate River Water Disputes Act, 1956 (IRWD Act), the affidavit maintained.

On the issue of non-submission of relevant facts by the state to the Centre, the government has completely denied it stating that negotiations between the Chief Ministers of the two States had failed.

Moreover, the State government has pointed out that waiting for the adoption of the Bill on the proposed single tribunal for resolution of all river disputes would result in delay, which would defeat the purpose behind constitution of the tribunal on Mahanadi.

The BJP which has been pushed to a corner in Odisha over the Centre’s stand on the Mahanadi dispute too had no option than welcoming the State government’s move of filing counter affidavit.

“If they are filing a counter affidavit with facts, then it’s a welcome move. But if they are filing a counter without facts then its only politics,” said BJP State unit president Basant Panda in his reactions on the State government filing counter affidavit in the Supreme Court in the Mahanadi water dispute matter.