BHUBANESWAR: BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday formed a team comprising senior leaders of the party to study the impact of Polavaram dam project in Andhra Pradesh on the tribal-dominated Malkangiri district.
The team headed by former minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak will visit areas in Malkangiri which are likely to be affected by the project on August 8. BJD leader and former MP Pradeep Majhi said the team will visit Motu, Padia and other areas of the district. It will also visit the dam site in Andhra Pradesh and submit a report to the BJD president after studying the ground situation.
In his reaction on the Union budget 2024-25, Naveen had criticised the Centre for making provision of more funds for Polavaram project without resolving the grievances of Odisha.
However, senior BJP leader Jayanarayan Mishra came down heavily on the BJD for trying to politicise the issue. He said the BJD had no concern for tribals who are likely to be affected by the project, for the last 24 years when it was in power. “After losing the elections, the party is now trying to hoodwink the people by resorting to such gimmicks,” he added.
Leader of Congress Legislature Party Ramchandra Kadam also criticised the previous government on the issue. Kadam said the BJD government did nothing in the last 24 years and now its leaders will visit areas likely to be affected by the dam project. This is a futile exercise, he said.