Uproarious scenes were witnessed in Odisha Assembly today as members of the ruling BJD and opposition Congress raised slogans over Polavaram and other issues leading to the adjournment of the House.
Treasury bench members raised the Polavaram issue as soon as the Zero Hour began in the House.
Standing on their respective seats, the BJD lawmakers demanded stopping of Polavaram irrigation project in the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, which they claimed, would adversly affect the tribal people of Malkangiri district.
The Congress members on their part, demanded a reply from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the issues raised by them during the debate on the supplementary demand of home and general administration departments last night.
Due to the prevailing din, Speaker Niranjan Pujari adjourned the House till 3 PM.
The treasury bench members, including senior ministers, who have been raising the Polavaram project issue since yesterday, sat on a dharna in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Assembly premises.
"The Centre must stop the Polavaram irrigation project as it is being built in violation of all norms. They have increased height of the dam without consulting Odisha and Chhattishgarh which will be affected," Odisha Law Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo said.
He said tribal people in 21 gram panchayats would be affected if the project is built.
Malkangiri MLA Dambaru Sisa alleged that no public hearing was held in his area even though about four blocks would be submerged due to the project.
Claiming that the BJD's demand was justified, Odisha Agriculture Minister Pradeep Kumar Maharathy said a large number of tribal and poor people would be displaced due to backwater submergence of the project.
Senior BJP member K V Singhdeo, however, blamed the BJD government for not sending the House Committee to protest the Polavaram project.
"A 25-member House Committee was set up in July 2014. However, the committee has not met the Prime Minister so far," Singhdeo said.
Meanwhile, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram said that he was aware of the development.
"The state's BJD government is just shedding crocodile tears for tribals. I will do whatever is beneficial for the tribal population likely to be affected by Polavaram project," Oram told reporters outside the Assembly.
The BJD MPs also staged similar protest against Polavaram project both in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
The state has been witnessing protest over Polavaram project barely two days after the Union Government revealed its plan to fund the project in Andhra Pradesh.
