Massive rally in Udupi against NPCL's power proj

Udupi (Karnataka), Jul 26: Over 5,000 people from the three coastal areas of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and North Canara took part in a massive rally organised here today in protest against the proposed 1,050 MW coal-based thermal power project of Nagarjuna Power Company Limited (NPCL) at Padubidre in this district.

People's representatives from various political parties and several matadhipaties took part in the apolitical rally to express solidarity with the people of the coastal districts.

Speakers at the rally accused the state government of forcing the project on the people and called NPCL ''untrustworthy.'' The rally was organised by Mogaveera Mahajan Sangha, Karnataka Karavali Sampradayika Nadadoni Meenugarara Okkoota (Federation of Coastal Karnataka Traditional Fishermen Associations) and Nandikur Jana Jagriti Samiti (NJJS).

Speaking on the occasion, Mogaveera Mahajan Sangha President Pramod Madhwaraj said despite the long standing protest against coal-based power units in the most eco-sensitive undivided Dakshina Kannada, the Government was adamant in its stand of forcing the project on the people. If it failed to honour the feelings of the people of the district, they would be forced to demand a separate state for the protection of their natural resources, he warned.

He alleged that the effluents discharged into the sea from the Mangalore Refineries and Petrochemicals Limited near Mangalore had made the area unfit for fishing and the fishermen from Mangalore had to go to the Malpe coast for fishing.

NJJS Honorary President Balakrishna Shetty charged the government with giving scant respect to Environmental studies conducted to go into feasibility of the project.

Ms Manorama Madhwaraj, BJP MP, alleged that Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and Public Works Department Minister H D Revanna, under the direction of their father and JD (S) Supremo H D Deve Gowda, were supporting the project.

Taking a dig at Medical Education and district in charge Minister V S Acharya, Rashtriya Hindu Sena State President Pramod Mutalik wondered how people who had been against the project when they were sitting in the opposition were now supporting it.

Sri Vishwa Theertha Swamiji of the Pejawar Mutt, senior Congress leader Vasanth V Salian, BJP MLA Lalaji R Mendon and former Congress MP Vinaykumar Sorake were among others who addressed the rally.

UNI