BJD Launches Signature Campaign Against Mahanadi Projects

Cuttack: Intensifying its protest against the projects being constructed by the Chhattisgarh government on the Mahanadi river, ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Friday launched a massive signature campaign in Cuttack.

BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the signature campaign near Anand Bhavan (legendary leader Biju Patnaik’s birthplace) in Cuttack.

Around 87 lakh signatures will be collected from across the state protesting against the two controversial projects by the neighboring Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh Governments with due approval from the Centre allegedly bypassing Odisha’s larger interests.

A memorandum containing the signatures will be submitted to the President of India.

Apart from the signature campaign, the ruling party has also decided to resort to a 430 km-long 5 lakh-manned human chain along the Mahanadi basin from Hirakud (Sambalpur district in western Odisha) to Paradip (Jagatsinghpur district in coastal Odisha) in near future.