The land ministry will put off accepting tenders for a major dam project in Gunma Prefecture that had been slated to start Sept. 11 because the Democratic Party of Japan, which won the Aug. 30 general election, opposes the construction, Vice Minister Hiroaki Taniguchi said Sept. 3.

The Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry's Kanto Regional Development Bureau has invited tenders but formally announced the suspension Sept. 4, ministry officials said.

The ¥460 billion project to build a multipurpose dam on the Agatsuma River began with a field study in 1952, but opposition from residents affected by the project delayed construction, which finally was set to start next month with completion in fiscal 2015.