Bhubaneswar, Aug. 22: The state has opposed the National Thermal Power Corporation's (NTPC) power project coming up in Chhattisgarh because "once the project is commissioned, the environment, livelihood and health conditions of the people living in the 27 villages in Jharsuguda district of the state will be severely impacted".
After the Mahanadi water dispute with the Raman Singh-led government in Chhattisgarh, this is the second major issue Naveen is going to take up with his counterpart.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik today wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard. "In view of the sensitivity of the issue involved, I would request you to kindly intervene in the matter and issue suitable instructions to the NTPC authorities to address the genuine concerns of the project affecting people of our state," said the chief minister.
On the Mahanadi front, the BJD has intensified its stir against Chhattisgarh for going ahead with its projects on the river. In the second phase of the agitation, the party has launched a seven-day Kalasa Yatra in which women carry water from the river in pitchers. It started from August 20. Today, the yatra was held in Sambalpur.
Hundreds of members of the women's wing collected water in earthen pots from the Mahanadi and poured water on the effigies of Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh, Union water resources minister Uma Bharati and Union minister of state for water resources Sanjeev Balyan.
The Congress, which had observed a strike on August 16, is fighting hard to overcome differences among its senior leaders over the issue.
Targeting Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Prasad Harichandan, senior Congress leader Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra today said: "A five-hour Odisha bandh will not resolve the issue of the Mahanadi dispute. There are differences among the party leaders on this issue," he told a group of newspersons.
The veteran Congress leader took a dig at the leadership saying: "In each and every issue, the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) should not be involved. Issues should be resolved at the local level. We have failed to a great extent." His comments should be read in the context that the PCC president had virtually opposed an all-party meeting called by party leader Narasingha Mishra on the plea that the AICC had not endorsed the meet on August 3.
Harichandan met the district unit Congress presidents and <>discussed different issues. Iit was decided that the Mahanadi issue would be taken up during campaign for the panchayat elections next year.