Pics: Durga Digitals
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (TU)
Udupi, Aug 30: Trees were felled amidst of protest at 2.9 acres of land belonging to a Dalit family which was acquired for Nagarajuna-Lanko coal-based thermal power project at Saje in Yellur grama panchayat near Padubidri on Thursday August 28.
Tahsildar VB Fernandes allowed to cut the trees according to the order received from the district commissioner P Hemalatha. All the trees in the region were felled by evening. The drive started at 8 pm with the police security.
Odi Mogera, owner of the land opposed the drive, but it did not yield not any result. Some locals expressed their ire against the officials. Since the issue is still pending in the Supreme Court, how the tree could be felled, they questioned.
MP Manorama Madhvaraj condemned district administration's action after visiting the spot. Even though, she reached at the main gate of Nagarjuna Company at 2 pm along with journalists and a local, company's security personnel held them up till 5 pm.
Odi Mogera complained that they were helpless when the trees in their land were felled down mercilessly for the project with tight police security. "Police attempted to take away my son's camera while he was clicking the photographs. Company workers also disconnected the electricity lines of our house", he added.