BHUBANESWAR: BJD Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra on Monday requested the Centre to stop work on the Polavaram project as it would affect a large number of tribals.
Raising the issue in Rajya Sabha during question hour, the BJD member said about 6000 people, a majority of whom are tribals, will be affected by Polavaram project because of submergence of large tracts of land. Besides, no gram sabha has been conducted even as work on the project has already started, he said and added that Chief Minister has written several times to the Centre that work on the project should be stopped.
Union Minister for Jal Shakti (Water Resources) Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, however, refused to make any comment on the issue as it is pending before the Supreme Court.
Reacting to the Minister’s reply in the Rajya Sabha, Patra said outside the House “If answer cannot be given in Parliament since matter is sub-judice, then how come `55,000 crore is being spent on such a project?” he said and added that he will keep raising issues of the State and highlighting the areas where the State’s interests are not being kept.