Odisha government criticises Centre's stand on Andhra Pradesh's Polavaram dam project

BHUBANESWAR: The state government has taken strong exception to the Centre's stand that no scheduled tribe people of the state will be affected by the Polavaram dam project being constructed by the Andhra Pradesh government.

Centre's stand on the issue came to the fore in a reply given by union tribal affairs minister Jual Oram in the Rajya Sabha to a question from D Raja (CPI). Criticising the union minister for his reply in the Rajya Sabha, minister for ST and SC Development, minorities and backward classes welfare minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi said this goes against the interests of the state and is not based on facts.

In a letter to Oram on January 15, Majhi alleged that the project which is being constructed by violating many rules and guidelines will affect 6818 people including 5916 from the scheduled tribes. The project will submerge and affect 6818 hectares of land and 25 habitations including 15 revenue villages in Motu area of Malkangiri district.

Majhi referred to an interview given by the union minister to a national weekly magazine in June, 2014 in which he had criticised the state government for its failure to raise the issue effectively for the state's interests, though the dam is set to affect a large number of people. Majhi said, “Oram had also assured in the interview that the Centre would back any step by Odisha government which aims at safeguarding the interest of the state and its people.”

However, the reply of the union minister in the Rajya Sabha contradicts his earlier stand, Majhi said and added that it is against the interest of scheduled tribe people. He requested the union minister to put pressure on the Andhra Pradesh government to stop project work soon to safeguard the interest of the state and tribal people.