Press Trust of India
Bhubaneswar, Sept 20: The anti-Polavaram project stir got new impetus Tuesday with the Chhattisgarh Janata Congress (Jogi) joining hands with BJD which held simultaneous demonstrations in seven southern districts of the state demanding a halt to the construction.
The BJD workers held demonstrations in front of the collectors’ office at Kandhamal, Ganjam, Rayagada, Gajapati, Malkangiri, Koraput and Nabarangpur. While BJD spokesperson Rabi Narayan Nanda led the demonstrations in Koraput, state transport minister Ramesh Majhi and senior leader Bhupinder Singh led the show in Nabarangpur.
Orissa food supplies and consumer welfare minister Sanjay Das Burma and Rajya Sabha MP N Bhaskar Rao led the campaign in Rayagada, senior spokesperson Surya Narayan Patro and MP Sidhant Mohapatra led the campaign in Ganjam. The party has announced to carry out strikes across the seven districts from October 1.
Meanwhile, the CJCJ under the leadership of Amit Jogi and Dharamjit Singh today undertook a ‘‘bus yatra’’ from Jagdalpur in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh to Malkangiri in Orissa, to protest against the construction of the proposed Polavaram project in AP.
The CJCJ leaders joined the BJD protest rally on Polavaram near Malkangiri Collector’s office, along with Orissa urban development minister Pushpendra Singhdeo and Malkangiri MLA Manas Madkami.
‘‘We have joined TRS and now BJD. The CHCJ is working towards unifying regional forces and rise to protect the interests of all states in the region,’’ Jogi said. Son of Chhattisgarh’s first chief minister Ajit Jogi and Marwahi MLA Amit Jogi have been on the forefront to protest the Polavaram project that would have an adverse impact on the lives of endangered tribal lives in Bastar region.
‘‘Whether in Bastar or in Orissa, the land where innocent tribal people live is equivalent to his mother,’’ Jogi said.
The Congress questioned the intention of the demonstrations. ’’I wonder why the government has not applied for a stay order from the Supreme Court yet. The SC won’t be a silent spectator if it affects state’’ Cong leader Narasingha Mishra said.
