BJD, BJP lock horns over water aerodrome on Chilika Lake

Bhubaneswar: Protest over in-principle approval by the Union government to a proposal for setting up a water aerodrome on Chilika lake intensified today with the BJD and the BJP engaging in war of words over the project.

While BJD clarified that it will not welcome the proposal, the BJP termed the move of the former as anti-development.

"The project reports are yet to come. Besides, environment assessment of the project needs to be done following which the ecological impact will be reviewed. At a time when all these things are still pending, there is no point of welcoming the project," said BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra.

Hitting out at the BJD, Odisha BJP vice president Samir Mohanty accused the ruling-BJD of road-blocking development.

"Naveen government's opposition shows that the BJD is a weird party with weird governance," said Mohanty.

Meanwhile, Chief Wildlife Warden Sandeep Tripathy said that the department is yet to receive the proposal for the aerodrome and issues pertaining to wildlife and environment clearances will be looked into only after getting the proposal.