Bhubaneswar, Jan. 29: Union minister of state for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan today came down heavily on Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who had yesterday rejected the Centre's newly-constituted negotiations committee to resolve the water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

Pradhan accused Naveen of "maintaining double standards" and not interested in resolving the issue for political interests. On the other hand, the Congress alleged that both the Centre and the state government were indulging in politics over the issue.

With only 12 days to go before the panchayat polls, the Mahanadi water dispute continues to be the focal issue for major political parties. The three major contenders for power - BJD, BJP and the Congress - are trying to derive political mileage out of the issue as the river is considered the lifeline of people in 15 coastal districts of the state.

Yesterday, Naveen had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi rejecting the negotiations panel and terming the constitution of committee as "arbitrary". Citing reasons for rejection, the chief minister said he was ready to attend a meeting on the issue if Modi decided to call one. The chief minister also demanded a tribunal to resolve the issue.

However, Pradhan said: "Prior to the formation of tribunal, the Centre has gone a step forward by forming a negotiation committee to settle the dispute. But it seems the state government is no mood to agree to this. By keeping its political interests in mind, the state government is doing disservice to the state's cause."

Pradhan said Naveen was changing his stand on the Mahanadi on the advice of a "clerk" sitting in his third floor office at the secretariat.

The Union minister pointed out how the state's chief secretary had agreed to the decisions taken at meeting of the chief secretaries of Odisha and Chhattisgarh convened by the water resources ministry in September last year but the Odisha government had changed its mind after the meeting.

"The minutes of the meeting were recorded and it will be brought out as a proof. Our chief minister, who had agreed to the proposals at the meeting, changed his mind later at the instance of a bureaucrat," the Union minister said.

Pradhan pooh-poohed the chief minister's demand for a meeting on the Mahanadi issue called by the Prime Minister. "The chief minister has visited Delhi 10 times in the last six months but has never taken up the matter with the Prime Minister. Naveen is raking up the issue for vested political interests and is not keen to protect the interests of Odisha," he said.

Coming down heavily on the chief minister for demanding exclusion of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand from the negotiation committee, Pradhan said: "The Odisha government in its petition had included these states while demanding for the constitution of a tribunal."

Official sources, however, said that Naveen had met the Prime Minister in November last year and raised the Mahanadi issue with him.

Yesterday, Naveen alleged that the composition of the negotiation committee was arbitrary in nature. He said: "The terms of reference of the committee indicate that the committee is not intended to negotiate the water dispute raised by my government, but is designed to record its views or findings," Naveen had said.

BJD spokesperson and vice president Prasanna Acharya said: " If one reads the terms and reference of the negotiation committee, Odisha government has no option left but to reject it."

Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra, who had taken the initiative in calling an all party meet that was boycotted by the BJD, said: "Naveen is just playing to the gallery. He has failed to provide the required leadership. He has no political will to settle the issue. One wonders why the Prime Minister is not calling both the chief ministers to sort out the issue. What was the need for the Centre to form a jumbo negotiations committee on the issue?"