Jagatsinghpur: Intensifying its
attack on the Centre, ruling BJD in Orissa on Saturday accused UPA
government of adopting a step-motherly approach towards the
state by trying to "stall" Posco and Vedanta projects while
approving for the Polavaram dam project in Congress-ruled
Andhra Pradesh.
Clearance to Polavaram project in the neighbouring
state which is likely to submerge many villages in Orissa`s
Malkangiri district has exposed Centre`s dual policy, senior
BJD leaders, including ministers, said at a public meeting
here as part of a "Save Orissa Campaign".
"The UPA government has thrown the law into the wind
to accord environmental clearance to the multi-purpose
Polavoram dam. We condemn this", Orissa`s industry minister
Raghunath Mohanty said.
In its bid to "derail" our development and progress,
UPA government is following different norms for Congress-ruled
Andhra Pradesh and BJD-ruled Orissa, finance minister Prafulla
Ghadai claimed.
"Sonia Gandhi, the UPA chairperson, had gone a
step ahead advocating national status for Polavaram project,"
he said alleging that the Centre is putting hurdles in
industrialisation and stalling mega projects to counter the
rising popularity of the Naveen Patnaik government.
"The order to halt project related work for Posco
project near Paradip showed the Centre`s anti-Orissa policy as
it came when land acquisition for the Rs 52,000 crore green
field steel mill was on," the leaders said.
Even as BJD workers gathered in large number braving
intermittent rains in support of Posco plant, anti-project
outfit - Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) held a meeting
at Balitutha in the proposed project site to condemn the
ruling party`s move.
CPI also hit out at the BJD government saying it was
unfortunate that the ruling party organised the rally to
campaign for Posco project instead of taking steps for
controlling spread of cholera and diarrhoea in the state.
PTI
