The Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is lucky that the Union Government dishes out to it one issue after another issue to keep its anti-Centre flag afloat.
The latest weapon in this regard provided by the Centre, particularly ahead of the panchayat polls, is Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s announcement that the Centre would bear all expenses towards construction of the Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh.
In this context, the BJP State leaders’ attack on the State Government on various intra-state issues is losing its sharpness.
Even as the Odisha Government has been protesting against construction of the Polavaram project, Jaitley has stated that the Centre would bear the expenses of the project with effect from April 1, 2014 when it was declared as a National Project.
He has also made it clear that Andhra Pradesh would continue to undertake the construction work of the project despite the fact the Odisha and Chhattisgarh Governments are opposing the project citing that many areas of the two States would be affected due to the multipurpose irrigation project.
The Odisha Government had filed a case in the Supreme Court alleging that the Polavaram project is ‘illegal’ as public hearings in the areas going to be affected were not undertaken by the Andhra Pradesh Government.
The matter is also under consideration of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).”