In an apparent bid to cover up the gross irregularities in ration card distribution under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the ruling BJD has decided to take to the street over the controversial Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh on the Odisha border.
Party general secretary and School and Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra told reporters here on Saturday that the BJD would observe a hartal in the undivided Koraput district (Malkangiri, Rayagada, Nabarangpur and Koraput districts) on January 7 to protest the project as a large number of tribals and a huge patch of land would be affected if the project comes to effect.
While Commerce and Transport Minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi would coordinate the hartal in Malkangiri district, Energy Minister Pranab Prakash Das, Higher Education Minister Pradeep Panigrahy and Housing and Urban Development Minister Puspendra Singh Deo would supervise in Koraput, Rayagada and Nabarangpur, respectively.
The party would also hold a demonstration in front of the Governor’s House here on the day to protest the Union Government’s alleged go-ahead to the project in terms of financial assistance and national project status.
The decision of the party came at a time when an Assembly House Committee has sought time to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apprise him about the adverse effects to be caused to the State due to the project.
“We are in no mood to tolerate injustice. Despite our stiff opposition, the Union Government is giving its departmental approvals one after another to the controversial project ignoring our stand. We have filed an amended affidavit in the Supreme Court recently. Despite this, the project implementation is going ahead only due to the Central Government’s support,” said Debi Prasad Mishra.
He demanded that the project be halted till the Supreme Court gives a final order on it.