leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Narasingha Mishra on Saturday urged the State Government to make its stand clear on construction of a large dam on Manibhadra river.
Referring to news stories published in various newspapers Saturday, Mishra in a letter apprised Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik that a dam proposal on the river had been mooted way back in 1993 but was spurned as people of western Odisha protested it widely, apprehending that most of the parts of the region would be submerged if the dam comes up. This feeling of alienation and depravation promoted the idea of a separate State subsequently, he informed.
“The silence of the State Government on the news item and related discussion has compelled the people to apprehend revival of the plan of construction of the dam. Hence, the State Government should clear its stand immediately on this issue having wider repercussions and remove apprehensions from the mind of people in this regard,” Mishra said.
