India News | Odisha's BJD Forms Committee to Intensify Protest Against Polavaram Project in Andhra

Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The opposition BJD in Odisha formed a committee on 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.

Bhubaneswar, Aug 6 (PTI) The opposition BJD in Odisha formed a committee on 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 S Nayak, has Debi Prasad Mishra, Pradeep Majhi and Bhrugu Baxipatra as its members.

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"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.

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The BJD is worried over the safety of tribals living in the region, he said.

Meanwhile, the Congress said the BJD kept the issue pending while being in power for 24 years 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, the BJP said the BJD was trying to pull off a political stunt to mislead the people of the state.

"The BJD was in power for 24 years and could have impressed upon the Centre to look into Odisha's concerns. However, the BJD then never raised issues of the state's interests," BJP MLA Babu Singh said.

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.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)

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