Human chain not now, says BJD

Bhubaneswar: As the State government has moved Supreme Court seeking injunction on the constructions over river Mahanadi by Chhattisgarh government, the BJD has put its proposed plan for a mega human chain on hold.

Talking to the reporter BJD spokesperson and MLA Sashibhushan Behera said the party may go for a mass movement in future over the controversial issues for larger interest of Odisha.

"We moved the Supreme Court after our demands were paid little heed. Human chain or something else can be organised in a complete non-violent manner in the later phase. A mass movement might be carried out in future as the Mahanadi issue is associated with the life of people and progress of Odisha", Behera said.

The ruling party on October 28 had announced that it would organise a grand human chain from Hirakud to Paradip to mount pressure on Centre against Chhatisgarh’s act. The party had also decided to launch a signature campaign across the State and collect signatures from 87 lakh families to be affected due to construction in the upstream of Mahanadi.

However, the date of organisaing human chain was not fixed to register protest against construction of dams and barrages over the river by the Chhattisgarh government.

Odisha government has already filed an original suit in the Supreme Court seeking injunction on Chhattishgarh’s act of continuing with construction of projects on the upstream of river Mahanadi, informed Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in State Assembly in a statement. An original suit was filed in the apex court under Article 131 of the Constitution on December 2, Patnaik had told the Assembly.