Paralakhemundi: Opposing the proposed Neradi project in Andhra Pradesh, people staged a symbolic silent protest in front of the Gajapati Collector’s office Tuesday, demanding that the project be scrapped.
The protest was organised with the support of the Dandakaranya Vikas Manch. Participants expressed resentment over the proposed joint survey and transfer of 106 acres of Odisha land following the Vamsadhara Tribunal’s verdict.
Protesters said the dispute over the project has continued for more than six decades, with generations of residents opposing its construction.
They claimed that implementation of the Neradi project could affect large areas of Kasinagar block and potentially submerge several parts of the Gunupur subdivision in Rayagada district.
The protesters questioned how Odisha could be made to bear the consequences of a project aimed at benefiting neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, particularly when the state government came to power highlighting the issue of Odia identity.
They said they would not surrender their ancestral land under any circumstances and warned that they would intensify their agitation against the project in the coming days.
