Holds 12-hour hartal in undivided Koraput
Even as the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) observed a dawn-to-dusk hartal in the undivided Koraput district on Monday in protest against the controversial Polavaram Multipurpose Project on the Godavari in Andhra Pradesh, the ruling party’s members raised the issue and quit the State Assembly in the day, following which the Speaker adjourned the Assembly till 3 pm.
BJD MlAs, at the beginning of the Question Hour, waved placards which mentioned “Stop Polavaram” before walking out of the House and staging a dharna in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Assembly premises.
later, the BJD MlAs met Governor SC Jamir and submitted to him a memorandum addressed to the President in this regard.
law Minister Arun Sahu alleged that the Central Government is conspiring against Odisha by facilitating construction of the Polavaram project which would submerge many villages of Odisha. But opposition Congress sharply criticised the way the State Government behaved on the issue.
“The BJD disturbing House business is condemnable. It is afraid to face the notice for an adjournment motion on the matter,” leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra said.
Similarly, BJP legislature Party leader Basant Panda said the ruling party is misleading people on the Polavaram issue. The Government should produce in the Assembly specific data about the losses the State would suffer due to the project.
Due to the hartal in the districts of Nabarangpur, Koraput, Malkangiri and Rayagada, vehicular traffic came to a grinding halt while business establishments remained closed. BJD workers and leaders staged demonstrations in front of all Central Government offices in these districts.
Notably, the States of Odisha, Telangana and Chhattisgarh have been opposing construction of the Polavaram project as it would harm their interests.