Bhubaneswar, Jan 7: The ruling BJD has called hartal in undivided Koraput district in protest against the Polavaram project began in Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Rayagada and Koraput districts on Thursday.
Shops and business establishments remained closed bandh and vehicular movement was also off the road as the BJD activists staged demonstrations at different places of the districts.
While Commerce and Transport Minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi is leading the protest in Malkangiri district, Energy Minister Pranab Prakash Das, Higher Education Minister Pradeep Panigrahy and Housing and Urban Development Minister Puspendra Singh Deo are supervise the hartal in Koraput, Rayagada and Nabarangpur, respectively.
The ruling party has also staged a dharna in front of Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar.
“Odisha will fight for its rights in Polavaram to the finish. BJD rallies at Bhubaneswar & undivided Koraput districts on January 7,” Naveen tweeted.
According to the Government, a total of 6, 818 persons, from the State, 5, 916 of them tribals, will be affected and displaced due to the controversial Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh. Besides, 7,656 hectares of forest land and 26 villages will be submerged.
