Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday clarified that he has no information about Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduling a meeting with CMs of four states to discuss the controversial Polavaram Project.
Majhi was responding to queries about reports that the Prime Minister is slated to hold a high-level meeting with the Chief Ministers of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh on May 28 to discuss the Polavaram Project.
Reports had appeared in the national media suggesting that the Prime Minister would hold a video conference with the Chief Ministers of the four states on May 28 to address the issue.
However, Majhi clarified that he has not received any such message about the PM holding any meeting with the CMs.
The Chief Minister further stated that a meeting may be held with Chief Secretaries and senior officials. If any meeting with the Chief Ministers on the Polavaram issue is convened in future, Odisha will participate in the process and continue to present its case in the interest of the state, he said.
The Polavaram project, considered the lifeline of Andhra Pradesh, has been a point of contention among the neighbouring states. Telangana, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh have raised objections due to concerns over submergence of land and villages. Despite high-level discussions, a solution is yet to come.
Odisha and Chhattisgarh have specifically raised concerns regarding land acquisition and rehabilitation. The matter is currently pending in the Supreme Court, with petitions filed by Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana.
Several rounds of deliberations at the top official level have so far yielded no results.
With Polavaram declared as a national project during Andhra Pradesh’s bifurcation, the onus on resolving the inter-state dispute is now on the Centre. A solution is also critical to meet timelines since the project is progressing at a brisk pace after the NDA government came to power in Andhra.
According to sources, the chief secretaries were informed about the meeting with the PM through a video conference. Irrigation ministers and senior officials from the four states, officials of Union Jal Shakti ministry, Central Water Commission, and Polavaram Project Authority will also participate.
In March, a joint action committee comprising representatives from proposed submerged areas of these states had demanded immediate halt to Polavaram Project till all submergence issues are settled.
