Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik asks PM Modi to halt Polavaram project

The Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop the Polavaram construction in Andhra Pradesh immediately. On Monday, Mr. Patnaik wrote a letter to PM Modi in this regard and stated that the construction of Polavaram project would cause a “permanent injury” to the interests of Odisha.

“I would earnestly request you to kindly intervene in the matter and give appropriate direction to stop the construction work of the Polavaram Project immediately until all the pending issues are resolved,” Mr. Patnaik wrote in his letter to the Prime Minister.

“If the project is allowed to be completed before the resolution of all the pending issues, it will cause permanent injury to the interest of the state of Odisha and its people,” he further added. Naveen Patnaik also referred to an earlier letter written to the centre where he expressed his concerns over the project.

The veteran politician feared that if the construction of the Polavaram project isn’t halted immediately, it would have adverse impacts on the tribal district of Malkangiri in the state. Urging Narendra Modi to take measures, the Odisha CM wrote, “I would like to reiterate that if the construction work on Polavaram Project is not stopped forthwith, it will have immense adverse impacts on people living in the tribal district of Malkangiri in Odisha. The submergence of the large extent of forest area would be of irreversible consequences”.

It may be noted that the centre recently extended the construction permit for the prestigious project in Andhra Pradesh. The centre had also agreed to sanction an amount of Rs.55,587 Crores towards the project after reviewing the proposal by the Andhra Pradesh Government.