Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Monday said that it would place a formal demand before the Centre for holding a public hearing in those parts of Malkangiri district that are likely to be submerged due to the Polavaram project in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. Briefing newsmen after presiding over a high level review meeting at the State Secretariat here, chief secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik said that the Centre had not issued any notice regarding holding of public hearings in the state as of now. As the interest of Odisha is involved, we will place the demand before the Centre for holding public hearing in advance, he said. He also informed that the chief minister had also requested the Centre for such meetings earlier during his last Delhi visit. On the other hand, member of the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) Sidhanta Das told the media that public hearings were not possible in the proposed area as cases related to the project were pending with the Andhra Pradesh High Court and the Supreme Court. Such hearings are not possible until the Odisha High Court and the Supreme Court issue a directive to hold public hearings in the affected areas, he pointed out.