New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a high-level meeting with the Chief Ministers of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh on May 28 to discuss the Polavaram Project.
This is the first time that PM Modi has directly stepped in to discuss the multi-purpose irrigation and hydroelectric venture in Andhra Pradesh, which has long been mired in disputes amid concerns over potential land and habitation submergence in Telangana, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh.
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.
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, the TOI reported.
In March, a joint action committee comprising representatives from proposed submerged areas of these states had demanded immediate halt to Polavaram Polavaram Project till all submergence issues are settled.
MEANWHILE IN ODISHA…
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi recently chaired a preparatory meeting to finalise the state’s strategy. “We will put forward all the necessary facts keeping Odisha’s interests at the forefront. The Water Resources Department will present our case before the Centre. Negotiation is the only way forward in resolving the issue,” Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan asserted.
He slammed the previous BJD government, alleging that it prioritised political interests and dragged its heels while pursuing the legal battle over the Polavaram project. “The former government ignored discussion-based resolutions,” he added.
Eight revenue villages in Odisha’s Malkangiri district will submerge after the completion of the project in Andhra Pradesh. The Centre in December last year said that a retaining wall has been proposed on Sabari and Sileru rivers to prevent the submergence.
However, Odisha, along with Chhattisgarh, has raised more objections regarding land acquisition and rehabilitation.
