BJD observes hartal in 7 Odisha dists protesting national project status to Polavaram

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Oct 1:

The BJD today observed a hartal in seven districts of southern Odisha– Malkangiri, Koraput, Raygada, Nabarangpur, Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal — protesting national project status to Polavaram.

Though BJD workers staged hartal in these districts in a peaceful manner, shops and business establishments remained closed and vehicular movement came to a grinding halt.

The party activists also staged a rail roko at Berhampur railway station this morning, sources said.

However, those schools and colleges where exams are going on were spared from the ambit of the hartal.

Notably, the BJD has been opposing the Polavaram project apprehending that several villages in Malkangiri district will be submerged with the coming up of the project.

While the erstwhile UPA government at the Centre had accorded national project status tag to Polavaram project, the incumbent NDA government has announced to provide all financial support to the project.