At a time when the blame game among Odisha’s political parties over the Mahanadi water dispute with Chhattisgarh is at its peak, ruling BJD and opposition Congress and BJP on Thursday entered into a fresh war of words just a day after the Centre announced to bear all the expenses for the construction of the Polavaram irrigation project in Andhra Pradesh.
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said the Centre would bear all expenses for the Polavaram project.
The Odisha and Chhattisgarh Governments are opposing this project on river Godavari in Andhra Pradesh on the ground that many areas of the two States would be affected due to the project.
Reacting strongly to the fresh development on the Polavaram project, BJD spokesperson Sameer Ranjan Dash told reporters here that when the matter is sub-judice at the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sent a notice to the Centre regarding this, the announcement of Jaitley at this juncture is unfortunate.
“The statement of Jaitley is like rubbing salt into Odisha’s wounds,” said Dash. Senior Congress leader Bhakta Charan Das dared the State Government to make its stand clear over the Polavaram issue and inform people the status of the case filed by it in the Supreme Court.
“It is the duty of the State Government to protect the interests of Odisha people. It should make its stand clear over the issue. The Congress party has already taken its stand on the project and would fight for the State’s interests,” said Das.
Blaming the then UPA Government for the controversial Polavaram project, BJP spokesperson Sajjan Sharma sought to clarify that the BJP Government at the Centre has not made any new announcement.
“During the bifurcation of AP, the UPA Government had promised to give national status to the Polavaram project,” added Sharma.