Panel to resolve inter-State disputes

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will soon form an inter-ministerial committee to resolve all inter-State disputes with the neighbouring States. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi took the decision during a high-level meeting held at Lok Seva Bhawan here on Wednesday.

The high-level meeting, chaired by the Chief Minister, held a threadbare discussion on various inter-State disputes including Polavaram, Mahanadi and Kotia. Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, Advocate General Pitambar Acharya, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, Additional Chief Secretary to Chief Minister Nikunj Bihari Dhal, Development Commissioner Anu Garg and other senior officials were present during the meeting.

Odisha is in disputes with neighbouring States West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh over sharing of river water, construction of dams and barrages and boundary-related issues. Odisha is locked in territorial disputes with Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal. The territorial dispute with Andhra Pradesh over Kotia gram panchayat has been lingering since 1960. The boundary dispute with Andhra Pradesh is related to 21 villages in Kotia gram panchayat.Odisha has boundary disputes with West Bengal over 27 plots in Balasore district and some areas in Mayurbhanj district. Sources said Odisha and Chhattisgarh are locked in territorial conflict over some villages in Nabarangpur and Jharsuguda districts.

Similarly, Vansadhara Water Disputes Tribunal was established to find a solution to the water-sharing dispute between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh over Vansadhara river. The State recently raised objections over the construction of Polavaram dam across Godavari river by Andhra Pradesh.

The Central government constituted Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal in 2018 to adjudicate the Mahanadi river water-sharing dispute between Odisha and neighbouring Chhattisgarh.