Bhubaneswar, 14/12/2024: A BJD delegation team, which visited Delhi recently and met
several governmentauthorities, including Union minister for Jalshakti Sri C R Paatil over Pollavaram issue, met BJD president Navin Pattnaik on Saturday and briefed him the development. After hearing the development, Pattnaik assured the delegation team that BJD will leave no stone unturned to safeguard the interest of the Malkangiri people and initiate appropriate action in due course of time, after getting the feedback from the government authorities, to whom, BJD delegation met in Delhi.
A high-level delegation from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), led by Shri Debi Prasad Mishra, Ex-Cabinet Minister, Government of Odisha, met Honourable President of Biju Janata Dal, Shri Naveen Patnaik, today at Naveen Niwas in Bhubaneswar. The delegation comprised senior leaders including Shri Debashish Samantaray, Honourable MP, Rajya Sabha; Shri Niranjan Bishi, Honourable MP, Rajya Sabha; Shri Subhashish Khuntia, Honourable MP, Rajya Sabha; Dr. Priyabrata Majhi, Media Coordinator, BJD; Shri Bhrugu Bauxipatra, Spokesperson, BJD; Shri Ramesh Chandra Majhi, Ex-Minister, Government of Odisha; Shri Pradeep Majhi, Ex-MP, Lok Sabha; Shri Manohar Randhari, MLA, Odisha Legislative Assembly; and Shri Manas Madakami, Ex-MLA, Odisha Legislative Assembly. The delegation appraised President, Biju Janata Dal, Shri Naveen Patnaik on their recent visit to New Delhi from 3rd to 5th December 2024, where they held crucial discussions with key officials and ministers about the ongoing concerns surrounding the
Polavaram Project.
During their visit, the BJD delegation met with several senior government representatives, including Shri C R Paatil, Union Cabinet Minister for the Ministry of Jal Shakti, officials from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), and the Chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC).
The delegation conveyed to President, Biju Janata Dal, Shri Naveen Patnaik the following key outcomes of their meetings: Shri C R Paatil, Union Cabinet Minister for Jal Shakti: Shri Paatil assured the delegation that the concerns raised by Odisha regarding the Polavaram Project would be seriously addressed. He emphasized that the demands of Odisha would be thoroughly reviewed and acted upon.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs: The Ministry committed to a detailed evaluation of the Polavaram Project’s impact on tribal communities. This includes addressing the potential displacement of people, loss of agricultural land, and socio-economic challenges. The Ministry pledged to take steps to mitigate these adverse effects.
Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change: Mrs. Leena Nandan, Secretary of the Ministry, reassured the delegation that the environmental clearances for the project would be re-examined in light of the latest data provided by Odisha. The delegation requested the revival of the 2011 stay order, and Mrs. Nandan assured that this matter would be reviewed.
National Commission for Scheduled Tribes: Shri Antar Singh Arya, Chairperson of the NCST, acknowledged the memorandum presented by the delegation and confirmed that a site visit to the Polavaram Project would be arranged to assess the situation first hand. Central Water Commission (CWC): The CWC Chairman and team acknowledged that they did not possess all the necessary details regarding the project. However, they assured the delegation that comprehensive responses would be provided once the required information was made available.
Following these discussions, Naveen Patnaik assured that the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has always been unwavering in its commitment to safeguard the rights and interests of the people of Odisha. Hence, BJD will put all out effort to protect the interest of the people of Malkangiri district of Odisha. He assured the delegation that appropriate action would be taken once responses from the relevant ministries and commissions were received.
Dr. Priyabrata Majhi
Media Coordinator, Biju Janata Dal
