Public hearing before Sindol project: Min

"We will take views of the local people before going ahead with the project," state energy minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak told reporters here.

Though the state government had been claiming that no one would be displaced or no agricultural land be submerged due to Sindol project, to be implemented in a joint venture between the public sector NHPC and the state-owned OHPC, the local people did not accept it.

According the MoU signed between NHPC and OHPC in presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on July 21, Sindol project would have three different hydro-power generation stations with installed capacity of 320 MW. The hydel power generation stations would be located in Sambalpur, Sonepur and Boudh districts.

The people in Sonepur on Wednesday observed a 12-hour bandh at the district headquarters opposing Sindol project.

The controversy over the Sindol project had meanwhile taken political turn with opposition Congress and BJP demanding clarification from the state government. The ruling BJD MLAs from the three districts have also expressed their concern over the state government`s action of signing MoU for Sindol project without reading public mind.

Health minister Prasanna Acharya, food and supplies minister Niranjan Pujari and former minister and sitting Birmaharajpur MLA Padmanav Behera, have meanwhile expressed their displeasure over the state government`s action of going ahead with the controversial Sindol project without consulting the people`s representatives.