Bhubaneswar: The opposition BJD in Odisha formed a committee Tuesday to intensify its protest against the Polavaram multipurpose project in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh that was being promoted by the BJP-led government at the Centre.
The committee, headed by former minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, has Debi Prasad Mishra, Pradeep Majhi and Bhrugu Baxipatra as its members.
“The members will visit Motu and Padia, and other likely-to-be affected areas in Malkangiri district. The BJP has dealt a blow to Odisha after coming to power at the Centre and the state by granting funds for the completion of the Polavaram project, besides according it the national project status,” former MP Pradeep Majhi said.
He said the Polavaram project is likely to inundate about 1,400-1,500 hectare of land in Padia and Motu tehsils in Malkangiri district.
The BJD is worried over the safety of tribals living in the region, he said.
Reacting sharply, the BJP in a statement said the BJD was politicising the matter.
“The state’s BJP government will take appropriate steps at the right time keeping in view the interest of the people,” it said, maintaining that the BJD did not do anything for the people during its 24-year rule.
Senior BJP MLA Jaynarayan Mishra claimed that as BJD leaders were quitting, its chief Naveen Patnaik was trying to unite his party with the Polavaram protest as the pretext.
He said the BJD will not succeed in its bid to mislead the people.
The Congress said the BJD kept the issue pending while being in power in the state.
“Instead of visiting the spot, the BJD should work to stop the project. It kept the issue hanging while being in power for 24 years. The BJP’s double engine government can also take steps in this direction by holding discussions with the TDP-led Andhra government if it wants,” Congress MLA Sofia Firdous said.
Meanwhile, members of the Ama Jana Adhikar Forum, a Bhubaneswar-based rights group, met Malkangiri’s District Collector Sachin Pawar and discussed the possible impact of the Polavaram project.
The delegation, which is set to visit Padia and Motu Wednesday, included former MP Brajakishore Tripathy and Mahanadi Bachho Andolan leader Sudarshan Das.
The Polavaram project, being developed on the Godavari river in Polavaram mandalam of Andhra Pradesh’s Eluru district, is aimed at irrigating over 4.3 lakh hectare of land and generating 960 mw of hydropower, along with the supply of drinking water to nearly 30 lakh people in 611 villages. It will divert 80 TMC water to the Krishna river basin.
PTI