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| Orissa to move SC over Polavaram project |
| BS Reporter / Kolkata/ Bhubaneswar Aug 31, 2010, 00:54 IST |
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The pitched battle between the Centre and the Orissa government over the Rs 10,000-crore controversial Polavaram project has taken a combative turn with Orissa deciding to move the Supreme Court, challenging the final clearance of the environment ministry for the project.
"We have decided to file a petition in the Supreme Court of India within two days for a stay on the final clearance for the project. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has given its final approval even though a case is pending in the apex court”, water resources secretary Suresh Mohapatra told Business Standard.
The Orissa government had first moved the Supreme Court after the MoEF had given its interim approval for the project in 2008.
In a parallel protest, the BJD and BJP MPs staged a dharana in New Delhi today, in front of the Parliament, voicing their opposition to the project.
The state government's decision to move the Supreme Court has come close on the heels of the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's statement on last Saturday that Orissa would continue to oppose the Polavaram project owing to its concerns of submergence of tribal villages and forest land.
Patnaik had categorically stated in the presence of the visiting Union minister for corporate affairs Salman Khurshid, that all steps would be taken to ensure that the interest of Orissa is not disturbed due to the implementation of the Polavaram project.
The state Chief Minister had also placed the concerns of Orissa pertaining to the inundation of tribal villages due to the Polavaram before the Prime Minister recently. The Prime Minister, on his part, had assured him that the tribal villages would not be allowed to be submerged.
The state government is sore over the Centre's decision to grant clearance for the project without consulting it.
According to Mohapatra, neither any assessment was done on the impact of the Polavaram project in Orissa nor any public hearing conducted in the villages to be affected by the project.
It may be noted that Sonia Gandhi, chairperson of the ruling UPA government at the Centre, had assured the Andhra Pradesh government on last Friday to accord a national status for the project.
She had complimented Rosaiah for his initiative in getting clearances for various projects, including Polavaram.The Central Water Commission had approved various aspects of the project, including its design, while the High Power Steering Committee of the Centre had recommended national status for it. If national status was finally given, the Centre would meet 90 per cent of its cost as against 25 per cent now under Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP),
According to the Andhra Pradesh government, the project will provide drinking water to 2.85 million people, produce 960 MW of power and give 23,500 million cubic feet of water to the industries
The project has been facing opposition since three decades from local residents who fear displacement, as well as from Orissa
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