Survey work for coal-based thermal project postponed

Udupi, Nov 8 (UNI) Commencement of work on the final survey and demarcation of 57 acres of land from Bandasale near here up to Admar village for the proposed 1015 MW coal-based thermal power project by the Nagarjuna Power Company Limited (NPCL) was postponed till November 16 following stiff opposition expressed by the Nagarjuna Vidyut Stavara Virodhi Samithi.

The district administration, under orders from the State Government, had made elaborate security arrangement to commence the survey and demarcation of land for the 'Rehabilitation colony' for the families to be displaced by the proposed project. Nine KSRP platoons, two RAF platoons and local police were deployed at the site, anticipating protest.

The Samithi, under the leadership of BJP Udupi MP Manorama Madhwaraj, gathered at the site and protested against any survey.

Ms Madhwaraj told the police officials that Lanco Founder- Chairman Rajagopal Reddy, having 74 per cent equity in the company, had assured her yesterday during talks in Delhi that the company would not go in for any survey for at least another 15 days till he visited the site with experts. ''We are not asking land in Chennai or Hyderabad, but we are trying to protect our land and save our ecology from the disastrous coal-based thermal project,'' she said.

Additional Superintendent of Police M Satishkumar announced that the survey had been postponed till November 16. Following the announcement, the 500-strong demonstrators, including former Congress MP Vinay Kumar Sonake, former Congress Minister Vasanth Salian and BJP MLA Lalaji R Mendon, dispersed from the spot after staging protest for over five hours.

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