In a move that will further rub salt to Odisha's injury on the contentious Polavaram Multipurpose Project issue, the Andhra Pradesh Government has announced that on October 22 Prime Minister Narendra Modi would lay the foundation-stone of the project, for which the Centre has also sanctioned Rs 2,000 crore in this fiscal year.
Sources said the Prime Minister, who would visit AP on October 22 to lay the foundation stone of its new Capital at Amaravati, would also do a similar job for the Polavaram project on river Godavari. Union Minister for Water Resources Uma Bharti, who had proposed only Rs 100 crore for this project in this year's budget, subsequently on the insistence of AP Chief Minister N Chandrababau Naidu, prevailed upon Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to augment the allocation to Rs 2,000 crore, sources said.
Even as the disputes raised by the Odisha and Chhattisgarh Governments continue to remain subjudice in the Supreme Court, the AP Government has gone ahead with land acquisition, paying compensation to land owners, and construction of canal work and other activities of the project, said sources. Using the oft-repeated catchphrase of Central negligence, Odisha's ruling BJD on Thursday came down heavily on the Modi-led NDA Government at the Centre accusing it of showing utter disregard to the genuine issues Odisha has raised against the Polavaram project.
"This is only the reiteration of the quintessential neglect the Centre has been showing towards Odisha," said BJD spokesman Amar Satpathy in reaction to the decision of the Centre sanctioning Rs 2,000 crore for the project. More than 2,000 hectares of land and 20 villages in Malkangiri district are will be submerged as a fallout of the project, said Satpathy.
The State Assembly Committee formed on the issue would soon seek time from the Prime Minister to apprise him about the move against the interests of Odisha, he said, adding that the Supreme Court would be informed about the development.PNS n BHUBANESWAR