Jairam Ramesh (PTI)

Bhubaneswar, April 28: Will there be a meeting between chief minister Naveen Patnaik and Union environment and forest minister Jairam Ramesh who is arriving here tomorrow on a two-day visit?

The question is doing the rounds in the political and environmental circles here given the fact that state government and the Union environment ministry have a number of unresolved issues including the implementation of the Forest Rights Act in the Posco project area and bauxite mining in the Niyamgiri hills.

According to official sources, Ramesh is scheduled to visit Bhitarkanika national park in Kendrapara district and also attend a programme on Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). However, there is no word so far on the meeting between Naveen and Ramesh.

Sources said that since issues like Posco have strained the relations between Naveen and Ramesh, the chief minister was in no mood to meet him.

Ramesh had sought an appointment to meet the chief minister on Friday at 9am. But a meeting at that hour was not possible as Naveen was scheduled to leave for a tour of two western districts that morning.

“The minister should know how to seek appointment with the chief minister. Programmes cannot be finalised on the wishes of Ramesh,” said a senior official.

Sources said later Ramesh had sought an appointment with the chief minister on Saturday afternoon but things remain uncertain. “It has not yet been decided whether the chief minister will meet the Union minister,” said an official.

Officials in Ramesh’s office in New Delhi confirmed that the minister had sought an appointment with Naveen on Saturday.

Significantly, the Chief Minister is leaving on a one-day visit to Subarnpur and Nuapada districts tomorrow morning. He is expected back in the capital only in the evening.

With no green signal yet from the CM office, Ramesh has decided to spent Friday night in the Bhitarakainka sanctuary. On Saturday, he will leave for Delhi.

Sources close to the minister said, “the Naveen Patnaik government is afraid of meeting him as he is likely to raise contentious issues. Perhaps to avoid this the chief minister has preferred to avoid a meeting.”

On the other hand, the BJD leaders said “ the way Ramesh is targeting the Naveen Patnaik is really unfortunate. The government is of the view that the MoEF is putting hurdles in the way of the South Korean steel giant Posco project. The government has taken serious view of the MOEF’s stand on Vedanta mining issue as well.”

Meanwhile, the Biju youth Janata Dal (BJYD) president Sanjay Dasburma today accused the Union Minister Ramesh deliberately stalling state’s industrial progress. “ Now the MOEF is following double standards. While giving clearance to the Polavaram Project, it has denied the same to projects in Orissa,” The BJYD also trained its gun at the UPA and demanded the resignation of the Prime Minister. “ We will organise a rally on Friday in front of Raj Bhawan demanding the resignation of the prime minister for his alleged involvement in the 2G spectrum scam. Rallies will also be organised across the State for 10 days. Later a memorandum will be submitted to the President of India,” Dasburma said.