BJD launches stir against Polavaram

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha has launched an agitation in their State to protest against AP's Polvaram project. Odisha is opposed to the project on the ground that the project would affect Malkangiri district. Odisha Chief Minsiter Naveen Patnaik had written to the then Planning Commision and the Ministry of Tribal Welfare that the Rehabilitation and Resettlement plan under the project had not been completed. Following the launch of the agitation on Thursday, train and bus services between the border districts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha were affected. In Raigada district, BJD activists had brought transport services to a standstill. The Koraput-Vizag passenger was halted by them. As a result, several train services have either been cancelled or running late. The RTC services between Parvatipuram and Raigada, Srikakulam and Raigada and Parvatipuram and Narayanpur have been cancelled. In the linguistic division of States done in 1956, the fact that many of the bordering towns in Odisha are actually majority Telugu-speaking had been ignored. The Polavaram, aimed at pumping the Godavari waters to North Coastal Andhra, will actually benefit the people in the region.