Odisha CM welcomes SC’s directive on Polavaram project

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday welcomed the direction of Supreme Court on Polavaram project.

The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to hold the public hearing in connection with the Polavaram Irrigation Project on Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh.

Patnaik appreciated the Supreme Court’s direction to Centre for submission of revised parameters for public hearing in tribal areas likely to be inundated in the event of Polavaram project being constructed and assured conducting free & fair hearing on time, tweeted the Chief Minister’s Office.

The Chief Minister said that the order to bring revised data on changed design flow into consideration will pave way for determination and restoration of legitimate rights and address genuine demands of people of Odisha and tribals of Malkangiri district.

The SC has asked the Centre to file an affidavit indicating the terms of reference and parameters on which the public hearing would be conducted in Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

It has posted the matter for hearing on December 3.

Notably, the Odisha government has been opposing the project in its present design citing that the project would submerge some tribal pockets in Malkangiri district.

The government also requested the Centre to stop the construction of the project until the issues are resolved in the Supreme Court.