After the Andhra Pradesh CM called the Prime Minister, the political climate over the Polavaram project became turbulent.
The political conflict between the ruling BJD and the opposition Congress, then the BJP, erupted after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s mission to complete the project as quickly as possible came to light.
Early this week, Andhra’s chief minister, Reddy, met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and brought up the Polavarm controversy, which erupted after the Odisha government voiced concerns about the rehabilitation and livelihood issues triggered in the Malkangiri district.
Reddy also urged the PM to approve a financial aid package worth Rs 10 crore to finish the project’s final 28% of the work. Additionally, he asked the Centre to sanction the state’s share of Rs 29,000 crore and to approve the tender for the Rs 55,549 crore fund with the revised structure.
The ruling BJD’s silence on the Polavaram issue has been questioned by the Odisha Congress. Santosh Singh Saluja, a senior member of the Congress, claimed that the BJD is not taking the Polavaram issue seriously. The status quo of the Project should be preserved, so the Odisha government should pursue the issue aggressively.
Prithviraj Harichandan, general secretary of the Odisha BJP, expressed concern over the state government’s inaction in contrast to the Andhra CM’s quick action to complete the project.
The BJD, on the other hand, claimed that the Supreme Court was still considering the case. Bhartruhari Mahatab, a party member of parliament, brought up the subject. He had called for the construction to stop, claiming that it would submerge a number of areas of the Malkangiri district. Munna Khan, a BJD member of the Rajya Sabha, shared the same opinion.
Prasanta Patnaik