Bhubaneswar: With both Congress and BJP backing the controversial Polavaram project in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, the ruling BJD in Odisha on Friday made it clear that the party will continue to oppose the project.
"We are totally opposed to the Polavaram project as it will lead to submergence of a large chunk of forest land and a number of tribal villages in Odisha's Malkangiri district," BJD general secretary and state school and mass education minister R N Nanda told reporters here.
Nanda's statement came a day after the Union Cabinet cleared the proposal for constituting the Polavaram Project Authority for execution of the Polavaram irrigation project.
While addressing separate election meetings in Seemandhra, both BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had assured the people that they would back the Polavaram project.
While Modi said the completion of Polavaram project would be his priority after the government formation at Delhi, Gandhi said his party would leave no stone unturned to ensure implementation of the project.
"The statements of both Modi and Rahul clearly show how they are not worried about the interest of Odisha and tribal people of Malkangiri," Nanda said, adding the present design of the project would cause hardship for the people of Malkangiri.
Nanda pointed out that though Modi backed the Polavaram project, the BJP government in Chhattishgarh filed a petition opposing the project.
Odisha has also filed several petitions opposing the project at its present design, he added.
Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Secretary JK Mohapatra on Saturday said, "We are waiting for details of the decision of the Union Cabinet and will present our case before the SC."