BHUBANESHWAR: Opposition Congress and BJP today cornered the State Government in the assembly over the Polavaram issue by demanding that a motion should be brought in the house as announced by two ministers on Wednesday for discussion.
The house witnessed noisy scenes as members of the two parties rushed to the well of the house shouting slogans during zero hour demanding that the issue should be discussed in the house. Speaker Niranjan Pujari had to adjourn the house for half an hour from 12.20 pm to 12.40 pm when some members led by Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati tried to climb onto the podium.
Criticising the BJD for demonstrating over the issue outside the assembly while running away from a discussion in the house, leader of the opposition Narasingh Mishra said the Speaker could have convened the business advisory committee (BAC) to fix time for discussion on the issue as there was unanimity.
Alleging that the BJD does not want a discussion over the issue as it will be exposed, Mishra referred to a letter written by the then union minister environment and forests (MoEF) Jairam Ramesh on August 10, 2010 where in he had mentioned about the conditions imposed by the Centre while giving forest clearance to the project.
Ramesh said in the letter that forest clearance was given on the condition that there will be no submergence and displacement in Odisha and Chhattisgarh. "We want the government to tell us how Odisha is going to be affected, but it does not have any information," he said, added everytime a member asks a question about this, the reply is always 'information is being collected.'
Criticising the BJD for politicising the Polavaram issue by not bringing a motion as announced, leader of the BJP Legislature Party (BJPLP) KV Singhdeo demanded that the house should be adjourned and the Speaker should call a discussion over the matter in his chamber.
The Speaker, however, rejected the opposition demand for a discussion on the issue as there were several other business to be transacted.