Polavaram issue: Odisha to file affidavit in NGT soon

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will file an affidavit in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on the contentious Polavaram multi-purpose dam project in Andhra Pradesh very soon.

The state Water Resources department will file the affidavit after receiving detailed reports from the state Forest and Environment department, official sources said.

On the other hand, war of words continues between the BJP and the ruling BJD over Polavaram issue.

Briefing media persons here today, senior BJP leader and Union Petroleum and Natural Gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the state government is playing mean politics on Polavaram. Instead of indulging in nasty politics, the time has come for the state government to take stern measures to safeguard the interest of the people of Odisha.

Also read:Polavaram row: BJD stages hartal in 7 southern Odisha dists

Asked about the stand of the BJP on Polavaram, Pradhan said “We have made our intention very clear. So long the Modi government is at the Centre, no injustice would be meted out to Odisha”.

In his reaction, minister Debi Prasad Mishra said the Centre has violated the rules and allowed the Andhra Pradesh government to go ahead with the construction work of the project. “Both the Congress-led UPA government and the  present BJP-led NDA government at the Centre have ignored the plea of Odisha on Polavaram”, he pointed out.