Odisha would not conduct public hearings in its territory to be affected by the proposed Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh unless the Supreme Court gives an order in this regard.
“The Odisha Government will not hold any public hearing in the area which will be affected by the Polavaram Project as a case is sub-judice in the Supreme Court,” Forest and Environment Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra told reporters here.
Mohapatra said both the Union Government and the Andhra Pradesh Government have been asking the Odisha Government to hold public hearings in the areas to be affected by Polavaram for long to regularise environmental and other clearances already availed to the project from the Centre.
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests had given environment clearance for Polavaram project in 2005 and the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs its clearance in 2007, he informed.
Notably, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had on Thursday stated that the Centre would spend all the money for construction of the Polavaram project as it is a national project.