Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) raised the contentious issue of the ongoing Polavaram irrigation project in Andhra Pradesh both in the Parliament and the State Assembly on Tuesday, demanding that the Centre immediately stop the project as it would submerge vast areas of the bordering Malkangiri district of Odisha.
The party questioned the stand taken by the Centre in favour of the project.
Raising the issue in the lok Sabha, Prasanna Patsani and Bhartruhari Mahtab drew the attention of Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to the fact that several tribal villages in Malkangiri district would be inundated by the project.
“While the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) in its order in 2008 has categorically stated that there should not be any such project in the area, how the Centre has approved financial sanction for the project,” asked Patsani amidst uproar by the Congress MPs.
Party Rajya Sabha member AU Singh Deo said like the previous UPA Government, the BJP-led NDA Government too has shown step motherly attitude towards Odisha.
The issue was also raised in the State Assembly with ruling BJD and opposition Congress members echoing their concern over the callousness of the Centre towards Odisha on the project.
BJD MlA Amar Prasad Satpathay raised the issue in the Assembly during Zero Hour and condemned the statement of the Union Water Resources Minister in the Parliament that the
Centre would bear total expenditure of the Polavaram project.
The party too placed a censure motion and MlAs to protest the Centre’s move.
Protesting the project Congress Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati said the project would never be fruitful for the State instead a large number of tribal villages and lands would be submerged.
BJP MlA Pradip Purohit blamed both the Congress and the BJD and said, “The Polavaram project was conceptualised in 1980. At that time, Congress was ruling both in State and Centre. Why didn’t they opposeIJ Till date, the BJD Government has no update records regarding how many villages, lands and people would be affected due to the project.”
“It proves the State Government’s ‘seriousness’ in opposing the Polavaram project,” ridiculed Purohit.