Mangalore: Congress members make second visit to Niddodi, succeed
News: Sunil Haleangady
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Aug 11: Less than a fortnight after Niddodi rose in protest against a team of district Congress committee members who had visited the village in connection with the proposed ultra mega power plant, the Congress members led by P V Mohan again visited the place on Saturday August 10 and this time, they were successful in carrying out the inspection.
The team visited Bangerapadavu near Niddodi. It visited the proposed spot where the thermal power plant would come up and also visited nearby areas. The team is expected to submit a detailed report on the pros and cons of establishing the thermal power plant at Niddodi to All India Congress Committee.
The team visited the agricultural fields, farms and arecanut gardens of retired teacher Chandaiah Suvarna who has been cultivating three crops a year for the last 75 years, Dinkar Shetty, Mohan of Niddodi-Bava, Rama Suvarna, Sadanand Poojary. The team also paid visit to various places in Kallamundkoor, Mucchoor, Ashwathapura, Thenka Mijar. Mucchoor is well-known for dairy farming for long. The major occupations of the people living in and around Niddodi are agricultural and animal husbandry. People cultivate paddy, betel nuts, coconuts, betel leaves, black pepper here.
"Though 75% of the land earmarked for the proposed project is agricultural land, the central committee had termed it as barren land. We do not know as to what yardstick the central team used in terming such a fertile land as barren land. Further this region also is cradle for several temples, churches as well as other holy places. Hence we shall not give up this sacred land for the establishment of any project which is dangerous to the nature as well as our own existence," said Mathrubhoomi Samrakshana Samiti members who were also present on the occasion.
"The departmental officials had visited Niddodi and surrounding areas earlier without giving any prior information to anyone concerned. Yet when we tried to know about this through RTI, no information about such visit was found. All the gram panchayats in and around Niddodi have passed resolution against the setting up of the project. Hence measures must be taken in order to prevent the establishment of this thermal power plant here," said Joachim Correa, the president of Kallamundkoor panchayat.
AICC member P V Mohan who led the team said that they could not visit the area a fortnight ago. But now that they have visited and noted that the proposed land is a fertile place and agriculture is the major occupation of the residents, they would give a factual report to union minister Oscar Fernandes and shall make him aware about the people’s unwillingness to allow the establishment of the thermal power plant in Niddodi.
KPCC DK secretary Balakrishna Shetty, Mathrubhoomi Samrakshana Samiti president Alphonse D’Souza, coordinator Kiran Manjathabail, Poovappa Gowda and others too were present on the occasion.
The team had visited Niddodi on July 29 to furnish a report, but the angry locals protested and greeted them with footwear and brooms. The team had to return empty-handed.