House stands united in opposing Polavaram
Tuesday August 8 2006 12:22 IST 

BHUBANESWAR: The Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on Monday urging the Centre to revoke the environmental clearance given to the Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh and direct the Government of the neighbouring State to reformulate the project.

After passing the resolution moved by Government Chief Whip Kishore Mohanty, the House authorised the State Government to take appropriate action on the contentious issue. However, senior Congress leader Nalini Kanta Mohanty sought to know from the Chair as to who will hand over the resolution to the Centre. He urged the Chair to constitute a House committee which will visit Delhi and submit the resolution to the minister concerned.

Replying to the official motion, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik demanded rejigging the project by the AP Government to prevent submergence of areas in Orissa.

It is surprising that the Ministry of Environment and Forests granted environmental clearance to the project on October 25, 2005 despite serious objections from his Government, the Chief Minister said, and added he had immediately taken up the matter with the Union Environment Minister demanding revocation of the clearance which has been issued in violation of the provisions of EIA notification, 1994.

The Chief Minister said he met Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz on February 27 and sought Centre's intervention.

To a question raised by Opposition leader J.B. Patnaik, the Chief Minister clarified that the Polavaram project would be constructed on the Godavari river and not on its tributary.

Referring to JB's suggestion that the Orissa Government should go in for the Lower Kolab multi-purpose project to deter its Andhra counterpart from going ahead with the Polavaram project, the Chief Minister said such a project would not be feasible in view of possible submergence and the geophysical condition of the area.

He said the Polavaram project would submerge 10 villages, displace thousands of people besides affecting over 2000 hectares of land. He came down heavily on the Opposition members for their hesitation to take up the matter urgently.

"The vehemence with which they (Opposition) usually attack every developmental project of Orissa is sadly missing in case of this (Polavaram) project which benefits Andhra Pradesh at the expense of tribal-dominated districts of Orissa," he remarked.

Deputy leader of the Opposition Narsingh Mishra said there was no question of not opposing the project. The interests of the State are paramount and they strongly oppose the proposed project of Andhra Pradesh, he asserted. 

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