After disruption, Odisha Assembly discusses Polavaram issue

With Treasury Bench members disrupting the pre-lunch session of the Odisha Assembly over the Polavaram issue, Opposition Congress today blamed the earlier governments in the state for the controversial dam project in Andhra Pradesh.
The issue was raised as soon as the House reassembled at 3 PM after an adjournment due to ruckus by the Treasury Bench members, Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra said ruling BJD could be the lone political party in the country which disrupted proceedings of the House repeatedly.
"I do not know any party in power which stops Assembly and runs away from discussion in the House. Earlier, two days (September 21 and 22) of the Monsoon Session were washed away due to pandemonium by the Treasury Bench members over the Mahanadi issue. Today also they disrupted the proceeding," Mishra said, asking BJD members to come forward for a discussion over the Polavaram issue.

While ruling party members accused both the UPA and the NDA governments of supporting the Andhra Pradesh government to construct the Indira Sagar project, also called Polavaram project, Mishra on his part held the then Odisha government headed by a non-Congress party in 1978 responsible for the project.
The Odisha government through an agreement had agreed to allow construction of Polavaram project in 1978. The then state government had accepted the possible displacement and inundation to be caused by the project, he pointed out.
Rejecting BJD government's charge that the UPA government accorded environment clearance to the Polavaram project despite objections from the Odisha government, Mishra said, "While the Odisha government in 1978 had agreed to displacement and inundation due to Polavaram project, UPA government's environment minister Jairam Ramesh had accorded conditional clearance. The condition was that not an inch of land in Odisha will be submerged nor any one will be displaced."

Mishra defended the Centre's allocation of funds for construction of the Polavaram project.

"Government of India is there to fund projects under the ambit of the Constitution. It is part of their duty to fund certain projects. Even Odisha projects are getting central funding," the Congress leader said.
He asked how the NDA government's environment minister Prakash Javadekar extended environment clearance to Polavaram project despite an order of the National Green Tribunal.
"Both the UPA and the NDA governments have supported the causes of Andhra Pradesh at the cost of Odisha's interest," he said, adding BJD has no reasons to keep away from discussion.

BJP legislature party leader K V Singhdeo said his party was also ready for a discussion on the issue.
He suggested the state government to set up an all-party committee to put forth Odisha's objection at the Centre.
Singhdeo alleged the ruling party does not want any other party to protest and demanded a white paper on both Polavaram and Mahanadi issues.
Odisha's food supplies and consumer welfare minister Sanjay Dasburma alleged that Andhra Pradesh violated the Godavari Water Dispute Tribunal order by modifying the design of the dam and raising height of the reservoir.
He wondered how the Centre allocated funds to a project which was opposed by Odisha, Telangana and Chhattisgarh.

Dasburma said the ruling party has no objection to a discussion if the government chief whip moved a motion for debate tomorrow.
The BJD members' act of disrupting the pre-lunch session came a day after a statement of Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Earth Science Y S Chowdary that NABARD has in principle agreed to fund the entire Polavaram project.