BJD to launch signature campaign from Nov 11 on Polavaram and Mahanadi water issue: Naveen
07 November, Bhubaneswar
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha will launch a signature campaign from November 11 in the state to lodge a protest against the Polavaram multi purpose irrigation project and the unilateral construction of barrages and reservoirs on the upstream of river Mahanadi by the Chhattisgarh government.
Announcing the party’s second phase agitational programme at a meeting of the party MPs, MLAs, office bearers and district presidents here today, BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the party would also organise a human chain from Hirakund to Paradip to create awareness about the adverse impact of the two projects on the people of the state.
He said as per the programme at least one signature would be collected from each of the 86-lakh families of the state and submitted to the President, the date for which would be announced later. Mr Patnaik said a 400-km long human chain, considered to be the longest human chain in the world would be formed from Hirakund to Paradip.
The detailed programme of the human chain would be finalised after a discussions with the party MPs and MLAs . He said the main objective of the agitation is to create awareness among the people of the state about the problems to be faced by these projects and to secure the future of the people.
He appealed to people to extend their full support to make these programmes a grand success. Describing Mahanadi river as the lifeline of Odisha, the Chief Minister said the river is linked with the life, livelihood, religion, culture and development of the state. Mahanadi, he said, is as pure like Ganga and mother to every Odia and asserted that nobody could deprive Odisha from the Mahanadi water.
The chief minister said on the Mahanadi issue, the state government has decided to move the court to protect the interest of the state.The BJD, he said, will also continue to fight against the neglect and injustice done to the state by all the successive central government. The attitude of the central government towards Odisha on the Mahanadi and Polavaram issue has created a large scale discontentment among the people of the state,he remarked.