BJD pulls up Oram for his remarks on Polavaram

Bhubaneswar: BJD today lambasted Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram for his remarks in Rajya Sabha that no one from the tribal community in Odisha will be affected by the Polavaram Dam project in Andhra Pradesh.

“Oram seems to be keen on safeguarding the interests of Andhra Pradesh as is understood from his statements in the Rajya Sabha,” said BJD leader Sanjay Das Burma adding that total 6,818 people will be displaced due to the Polavaram project, of which 5,618 are tribals.

Besides, 7,656 hectare farm and forest land will be submerged by the dam, Das Burma noted.

On the other hand, Oram said BJD is only politicising the Polavaram project and trying to hide its own incompetency.

The Union Minister yesterday informed the Upper House that 17,444 tribal people of north Andhra Pradesh will be displaced. “But, the project will not cause harm to any one from Odisha and Chhattisgarh,” Oram said while replying to a query by CPI member D Raja.

The CPI leader had wanted to know the number of affected families from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

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