Bhubaneswar, Aug. 28: BJD today criticised the Centre for its failure to submit the requisite information pertaining to setting up of a special tribunal to settle the Mahanadi water-sharing dispute with Chhattisgarh.

With the Centre today seeking four more weeks to submit the required information, the Supreme Court deferred the hearing of Odisha government's petition on the formation of the tribunal. The state government is of the view that only a tribunal could adjudicate on the issue. The case will be taken up for hearing on October 9.

BJD spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Pratap Deb today said: "When the issue was earlier taken up in the Supreme Court, the Centre had informed it that it would soon bring in a law on this. No law has so far been made. If the Centre is unable to furnish a report on this issue shortly, we will reach a conclusion that the Centre is only dilly-dallying. They are delaying the issue so that the case may linger on and the Chhattisgarh government can get the time to complete their ongoing projects. This stand reflects that the Centre is supporting Chhattisgarh indirectly."

"The state government has already made its commitment clear on the Mahanadi issue. It will not back out from raising the issue. We will continue to fight on the issue to get our due rights," Deb said.

BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra said: "Our fight on the Mahanadi is three-fold. First, we are fighting on the legal front - to set up a tribunal to adjudicate the case. But as the legal process is cumbersome, we want both the Central Water Commission (CWC) and Chhattisgarh to understand that water flow in Mahanadi during the lean period must be maintained and it should not be allowed to become a dry river. Water release during floods should also be effectively regulated."

Mentioning that it was going to be a long fight, Mishra said: "We cannot remain mere spectators on the Mahanadi issue. We will continue to raise public opinion on the need to protecting the Mahanadi. Even the NGOs are joining the movement. Let all the political parties join the movement."

Congress MLA Naba Das said: "The Centre has adopted a step-motherly attitude on the Mahanadi issue. Odisha's due demand should not be ignored."

The Centre had earlier sought time twice from the Supreme Court to prepare a draft with necessary documents for the tribunal. On July 25, both the states and the Centre had presented their views before the court. Through the petition, Odisha has sought the apex court's intervention to direct the neighbouring state to stop project-related work in the Mahanadi upstream and direct the Centre to form a tribunal to adjudicate on the matter.