Orissa to move apex curt on dam over Mahendra Tanaya river

Bhubaneswar, Mar 25 (UNI) Orissa Revenue Minister Manmohan Samal today hinted that the state government would move the apex court if the Andhra Pradesh government did not stop constructing a weir and a dam over the Mahendra Tanaya river.

Mr Samal said the government had written a letter to the Secretary of Andhra Pradesh Command Area Development Authority on March 17 last to comply with the 1962 inter-state agreement and stop the construction work on the river.

He said, '' So far we have not received any response from the Andhra Pradesh government on our letter. If necessary we will move the Supreme Court if the construction on the river is not stopped. '' Sharing the concern with the members of the House over the project by the Andhra Pradesh government, Mr Samal assured the House that the government would go to any extent to protect the interests of the state and its people.

He said the government would go for construction of two diversion weirs across the Mahendra Tanaya and Jalanga rivers as an interim measure so that the project on the Mahendra Tanaya becomes an integral part of the proposed lower Bansadhara project.

The Minister said the Orissa government had urged the Andhra Pradesh government to submit the Detailed Project Report of the proposed project, stop the construction work till the clearance was obtained from the Orissa government and the Centre as per the inter -state agreement.

He said it was mandatory on the part of the Andhra Pradesh government to obtain the consent from the Central Water Commission and Orissa before proposing any construction.

On the demands of the members that the Orissa government should also start the construction of irrigation projects on the upstream of Mahendra Tanaya, the Revenue Minister said a detailed project report had already been prepared and approved by the NABARD.

The project would be taken up once the government received the investment clearance approval from the Planning Commission, he stated.

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