Toughening its stand on Polavaram issue after the Centre announced it will finance the project, the ruling BJD today threatened to intensify its stir against the multi-purpose dam in Andhra Pradesh, saying it will displace a large number of poor tribals in Odisha.
Many villages in tribal-dominated Malkangiri and Rayagada would be adversely affected by the project and BJD would strongly protest the "anti-Odisha" move of the NDA government at the Centre, BJD spokesperson Suryanarayan Patro told reporters here.
It is unfortunate that the Centre has announced a financial package for Andhra Pradesh, which includes full funding of the Polavaram irrigation project despite knowing that the matter is sub-judice, he said.
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Announcing BJD's agitational plan against Polavaram project, both Patra and Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD) president Sanjay Das Burma said a demonstration would he held near Raj Bhawan here on September 14.
A memorandum addressed to President Pranab Mukherjee would also be submitted to Governor S C Jamir to lodge a protest against the multi-purpose project, which would submerge many areas and displace a large number of poor tribals in Odisha, Das Burma said.
BJD workers would also stage dharnas outside the offices
of Collectors in the seven districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Ganjam, Kandhamal and Gajapati in south Odisha, which were likely to be affected by the project, on September 20, Das Burma said.
If the Centre fails to respond to BJD's demand in a positive manner by September 20, the party would stage a peaceful hartal (shutdown) in these seven south Odisha districts on October 1, he said.
BJD would further intensify its agitation on the issue if the Centre fails to take concrete steps to protect the interests of Odisha, the party leaders said.
The agitational plan was announced a day after Chief Minister and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik held a meeting with senior leaders to firm up the party's strategy on Polavaram issue.
Earlier, the state government had on September 2 rejected Andhra Pradesh's request to conduct a public hearing on the Polavaram project, saying it could not go for such an exercise because the matter is sub-judice.
The Odisha government cannot conduct a public hearing at this stage without the direction of the Supreme Court as it would violate the law, state Forest and Environment Secretary S C Mohapatra had told reporters.
The public hearing should have been done before the Centre accorded clearance to the Polavaram project, he had said.
