Mangalore: Yettinahole issue: Vijaykumar Shetty lambasts Moily, DVS; bandh on Mar 3
Pics: Brijesh Garodi
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (BG)
Mangalore, Feb 26: Former MLA Vijaykumar Shetty on Wednesday February 26 launched a barrage against union environment and petroleum minister Dr M Veerappa Moily, former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda and chief minister Siddaramaiah for not withdrawing the controversial Netravati river diversion or Yettinahole project.
Addressing a press meet here on Wednesday, he announced that the district will observe a bandh against the project on March 3, the day the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid for the project.
"When former union environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan did not give clearance for the Netravati river diversion project, how could Veerappa Moily (current environtment minister) do so? D V Sadananda Gowda had said that the Yettinahole project would not affect the Western Ghats, and that not even a single plant would be harmed. Does DVS have no brains?" Shetty lambasted.
"CM Siddaramaiah during his earlier visit to Mangalore had promised to take public and locals' opinions on this project; what has happened to that promise now?" he questioned.
"The foundation stone laying ceremony for the project has been scheduled to be held on March 3, hence the Karavali Jeevanadhi Netravati Rakshana Samiti with support from various other organizations has called for a Dakshina Kannada district bandh on the same day," he said.
"Some of the local political leaders have been supporting the project for their own selfish political gains, while others have been just dumb spectators. The authorities have said that the detailed project report (DPR) on this project has also been submitted, but as per my knowledge, the detailed study has not been conducted at all, but only a report has been converted into DPR," he said.
"The political leaders are doing this to preserve their vote bank. In the initial stages, it was proposed to be a drinking water scheme, but now it has been converted to a multi-usage project," Shetty added.
Speaking on the occasion, M G Hegde questioned CM Siddaramaiah 'if the coastal region is in Karnataka or Pakistan'. "Many fights and protests have taken place in this district but the CM has shown no interest in looking into our problems and trying to settle the issue," he said.
"A voluntary bandh and 'dark day' will be observed on March 3. The government is indirectly responsible for this bandh," he added.
P V Mohan said the people living in this region will have to suffer due to this project and it is everyone's duty to support the bandh and make it successful.
Denis D’Silva, Shashiraj Shetty Kolambe, Dinesh Holla, Uttam Alva, Dinkar Chandra Shetty and others were present.