Bhubaneswar, Dec 14 (Reporter) BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik on Saturday urged party workers to intensify their agitation to protect the rights of tribal people who would be affected by the Polavaram project. "The Polavaram project will submerge many areas of Malkangiri and greatly impact our tribal brothers and sisters," Patnaik said and asked party workers to continue their fight for the rights of the affected people. The call for agitation came after a BJD delegation, led by senior party leader Debi Prasad Mishra, met Patnaik to brief him on their visit to Delhi, where they held discussions with Union Minister for Jal Shakti, C. R. Patil, and other government officials regarding the project. After being apprised of the developments, Patnaik assured the delegation that the BJD would leave no stone unturned to safeguard the interests of the people of Malkangiri and take appropriate action after receiving feedback from the concerned authorities. A high-level delegation from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), led by Debi Prasad Mishra and including senior party leaders and Rajya Sabha members, recently visited New Delhi. During their visit, they held crucial discussions with key officials and ministers about the ongoing concerns surrounding the Polavaram project. The delegation met senior government representatives, including Union Minister for Jal Shakti C. R. Patil, officials from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), and the Chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC). The delegation informed Patnaik that the Union Minister for Jal Shakti assured them that Odisha’s concerns regarding the Polavaram project would be taken seriously. He emphasized that Odisha's demands would be thoroughly reviewed and addressed. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs also committed to conducting a detailed evaluation of the project’s impact on tribal communities, including potential displacement, loss of agricultural land, and socio-economic challenges. The Ministry pledged to take measures to mitigate these adverse effects. Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Leena Nandan, reassured the delegation that the environmental clearances for the project would be re-examined in light of updated data provided by Odisha. The delegation also requested the revival of the 2011 stay order, and Nandan assured them that this matter would be reviewed. Antar Singh Arya, Chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, acknowledged the memorandum submitted by the delegation and confirmed that a site visit to the Polavaram project would be arranged to assess the situation firsthand. The Chairman of the Central Water Commission also assured the delegation that comprehensive responses would be provided after reviewing the required information. Following these discussions, Naveen Patnaik reaffirmed that the BJD remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting the rights and interests of the people of Odisha. He emphasized that the party would make every effort to safeguard the interests of the people of Malkangiri district and assured the delegation that appropriate actions would be taken once responses from the relevant ministries and commissions were received...////...