Normal life was affected today in the four districts of Odisha following a 12-hour strike called by the ruling BJD to protest against the Polavaram project in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
The party also tried to draw the attention of President Pranab Mukherjee after submitting a memorandum for the second time within a span of one month, over the alleged injustice meted out to them.
Report from the districts said business establishments, educational institutions and government offices remained closed in the districts of Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada and Malkangiri.
Road and rail traffic was also affected.
While the party workers called a 'hartal' in the tribal hinterland of Odisha, ministers and senior MLAs staged a dharna near the Raj Bhavan protesting against the Polavaram project.
A BJD delegation met Governor SC Jamir and handed him over a memorandum addressed to the President.
The party alleged that the Centre accorded National Project status to Polavaram when the matter is pending in the Supreme Court.
"All rules and laws of the land have been violated in order to support the Polavaram project. Is Odisha not part of India," asked Industries Minister Debi Prasad Mishra.
Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Sanjay Dasburma said no public hearing was conducted before granting environmental, forest and R&R clearance to the project.
Describing the Centre's attitude towards Odisha as "step-motherly", Tourism Minister Ashok Panda alleged that the Centre blindly supports Andhra Pradesh which has been building a project by violating all norms.
The ruling party alleged that the project will lead to submergence of 7,656 hectares of land in Malkangiri district and displace nearly 7,000 tribal people.
"Three states like Odisha, Chhattishgarh and Telengana would be affected by the project, the Centre supported only Andhra Pradesh," they said.
"We have given a proposal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create three barrages instead to a big dam. If the dam is created 302 villages will be submerged, while if three barrages are created then, only 74 villages will be drowned. But no one is looking into the proposal," the BJD leaders said.
