Odisha CM seeks advice from parties

Bhubaneswar: Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday sought suggestions from various political parties, NGOs and individuals on Mahanadi water dispute ahead of the proposed meeting with the

Chhattisgarh

government and the Centre on September 17. "I welcome suggestions from individuals, voluntary organisations and political parties on the Mahanadi issue,"

Patnaik

told reporters after a high-level meet.

"We just had a meeting on the Mahanadi water issue. We are fully prepared for the discussion with the Central government on 17th of this month," Patnaik said. Earlier, Union water resources minister Uma Bharti had proposed to organise a meeting on Mahanadi water issue on any date between September 10 and September 20.

Bharti had said that Patnaik would decide the date on which the Centre would also invite Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh to be present at the meeting.Subsequently, the state government had apprised the Centre that the chief minister would attend the meeting to be held in Delhi on September 17.

The preparatory exercise of the state government for the meeting on Monday was also attended by the state industries minister Devi Prasad Mishra. PTI