Bhubaneswar: After stalling house proceedings and submitting memo to Governor, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has decided to step up its protests against the controversial Polavaram project and observe ‘hartal’ in seven southern districts Saturday.
The party has made preparations to hold 12-hour hartal in Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Nabarangpur and Ganjam districts.
During the ‘peaceful hartal’, the party intends to gherao all Central government offices and block movement of freight trains in these districts for four hours to register its opposition to the ongoing construction of Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh and Central funding for the project since the date of its announcement as a national project.
However, BJD spokesperson Pratap Jena Friday said the party supremo has issued directions indicating that no emergency service such as movement of ambulance, passenger trains should be disrupted.
“Order has been issued not to create any problem for students going to schools and colleges to appear exams during hartal,” he said.
The ruling party and its government are of the view that 6,818 persons, including 5,916 tribals, will be displaced due to the project. Party leaders also said 25 habitations including 15 revenue villages and 10 hamlets will be submerged and 7,656 hectares will be submerged if the riparian neighbour increases the height of the dam 220 feet from previously planned 150 feet.
Raising these points, the BJD and its legislature party have already submitted two memoranda to Governoer SC Jamir this month seeking President of India’s intervention in this controversial matter which is sub-judice.
Meanwhile, the ruling party has appointed seven observers for seven southern districts in order to ensure that the protests are organised successfully.
Minister Pushpendra Singh Deo has been nominated to be the supervisor for Malkangiri, Chandra Sarathi Behera for Koraput, Bhupinder Singh for Rayagada, Sanjay Das Burma for Nabarangpur, Pradip Amat for Ganjam, Maheswar Mohanty for Gajapati and Samir Ranjan Das for Kandhamal who will lead the marches in these districts.
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