EXHIBIT 23(a)










                                                                   Exhibit 23(a)



Consent of Independent Public Accountants



As independent public accountants, we hereby consent to the incorporation by
reference in this registration statement on Form S-8 of our report dated January
25, 2001 incorporated by reference into the MDU Resources Group, Inc. Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000, and our report dated
June 7, 2001 appearing in the Annual Report on Form 11-K of the MDU Resources
Group, Inc. 401(k) Retirement Plan for the year ended December 31, 2000, and to
all references to our Firm included in this registration statement.




                                             /s/Arthur Andersen, LLP


Minneapolis, Minnesota
October 1, 2001