JOIN USGovt firm on Kudagi power plant despite farmers' stir
The government on Saturday said it would go ahead with the construction of Kudagi power plant, despite protests from the farmers of the region.
Energy Minister D K Shivakumar had convened a meeting with farmers of Kudagi in Bijapur district to explain the project’s merits and allay fears regarding the thermal plant. However, with not a single farmer turning up, the minister had to hold discussions only with officers and representatives of NTPC, the project promoter.
Briefing reporters, Shivakumar said the government would declare a 4,000-acre expanse of Kudagi power plant a prohibited area to safeguard the lives of workers and overseas citizens working at the plant. “In the light of the recent protests at the project site, the government will earmark the entire 4,000 acre as a prohibited zone under Section 8 (D) of the Official Secret Act, 1923. The proposal will be presented before the Cabinet for approval.”
“MLA K S Puttanaiah, farming community leader, has given his support to the project in writing,” the minister claimed. To safeguard people working at the plant, a police station at the site has been mooted and sent to the Home department for consideration.
“NTPC has sought to dispel fears of health hazard due to generation of power, by taking farmers to the existing project sites in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and other locations,” Shivakumar said.
On whether the government will withdraw cases against farmers, he said it was out of his hands as the cases were pending before the magistrate court. KIADB has acquired and handed over possession of 2,979 acres of land to NTPC. The rest will be acquired in the next one week. The total land required is 3,445 acres. The project cost is estimated at Rs 15,166 crore.
The government is expecting 2,400 MW of power to be generated by end of 2015 in the first phase, with another 1,600 MW to be generated in 2016.
The government has already made provisions to supply 5.2 tmc of water to the power plant from Almatti reservoir and 13.1 million tonnes of coal from Chhattisgarh.