Senior BJP leader and Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday lent support to the State Government’s stand on the controversial Polavaram project, saying that the project undertaken by Andhra Pradesh is against the interest of Odisha.
“Since the conception of the project, the Odisha BJP has been opposing it. Not only Odisha but also Chhattisgarh and Telangana will be equally affected adversely by the project. We support the steps taken by the three States to protect their rights which include legal options,” said Pradhan.
Pradhan also blamed the erstwhile UPA Government at the Centre for the approval of the project in the first place.
“As a Government at the Centre, one is forced to maintain continuity of the ongoing projects. Hence, the BJP-led Central Government is forced to take this project forward as a Parliamentary Act has been enacted in this regard. But the Odisha BJP has made its stand very clear on the matter and will continue to protest against the Polavaram project,” asserted Pradhan. He said Odisha would gain justice on the Polavaram issue from the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Notably, Pradhan is critical of the State Government over the Mahanadi water sharing dispute with the Chhattisgarh Government.