Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday hailed the Supreme Court’s direction asking the Union Government to hold public hearing for the Indira Sagar Polavaram Irrigation Project on the Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh.
According to the direction, the Centre would hold free and fair public hearing with revised parameters on time in tribal areas, which are likely to be inundated if the Polavaram project constructed, official sources said.
The CM said that the order to bring revised data on changed design flow into consideration would pave way for determination and restoration of legitimate rights and address genuine demands of people of Odisha and tribals of Malkangiri district.
“The Supreme Court’s direction to Centre for submission of revised parameters for public hearing in tribal areas likely to be inundated in the event of Polavaram project being constructed and assured conducting free and fair hearing on time will pave way for determination and restoration of legitimate rights and address genuine demands of people of Odisha and our tribal brothers and sisters of Malkangiri,” twitted the Chief Minister.
On Friday, the SC asked the Centre to file an affidavit indicating the terms of reference and parameters on which the public hearing would be conducted in Odisha and Chhattisgarh and posted the matter for hearing on December 3.
The Polavaram project is under construction in Andhra Pradesh and likely to inundate several areas in Malkangiri district and neibhouring State Chhattisgarh.