Bhubaneswar, Dec 10: The Odisha government constituted a high-level committee under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo to provide policy guidance on the Mahanadi water dispute, officials said on Wednesday.

The move comes amid ongoing proceedings before the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal and reflects the sensitivity and complexity of the issue.

The committee was formed following directions from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and will examine all aspects of the dispute, offering inputs to strengthen the state’s technical and administrative efforts.

Apart from Singh Deo, the panel includes senior Ministers Suresh Pujari, Prithiviraj Harichandan, and Sampad Chandra Swain, along with Government Chief Whip Saroj Kumar Pradhan. Legislators Niranjan Pujari (BJD), Jayanarayan Mishra (BJP), and Sofia Firdous (Congress) are also part of the committee, ensuring representation across party lines.

Also Read: Odisha Advocate General Calls Mahanadi Water Dispute “Artificially Created”

Addressing the Assembly recently, Chief Minister Majhi reiterated that the government has been pursuing both judicial remedies and dialogue for the past 18 months to resolve the dispute. He described the Mahanadi as the lifeline of Odisha and emphasised the need for a fair settlement.

Efforts to resolve the matter have included multiple rounds of talks between Odisha and Chhattisgarh. The Joint Technical Committee (JTC) of the two states met on December 5, continuing discussions on water flow and technical details.

Earlier, Chief Secretaries of both states held meetings in Delhi on August 30 and November 10, while informal talks between Majhi and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai were also reported.

The issue was further discussed at the Eastern Zonal Council Conference chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, where both Chief Ministers engaged in dialogue. Six JTC meetings have already been held, reviewing data and technical aspects, while the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal is scheduled to hold its next hearing on December 20.

Officials said the newly formed committee will provide crucial policy-level guidance to ensure Odisha’s interests are safeguarded while pursuing an amicable resolution with Chhattisgarh.