Surgical strike on Yettinahole project on January 26: Forum

Nethravathi Rakshana Samyukta Samithi, which has been opposing the implementation of Yettinahole project, has announced its decision to launch a final struggle to stop the project on January 26.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Samithi President Vijay Kumar Shetty said that the state government is adamant on completing the project even after repeated appeals and the protest by the Samithi and the people of the district opposing the project. Therefore, the Samithi has decided to carry out a surgical strike on January 26 and step up the protest. No positive developments have taken up even after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah convened a meeting to discuss on the pros and cons of the project, he charged.

Refusing to divulge the details on the protest, he said, “We will take a final decision after discussing with the members. But before that, a meeting of elected representatives will be convened.”

He said the Principal Bench of National Green Tribunal has deferred the hearing on the project to January 20 after the Ministry of Environment and Forests sought more time to submit its report. The tribunal has asked the ministry to constitute a committee comprising its officials and representatives from the Karnataka government and petitioners and submit a report after visiting the project site. The officials are purposefully delaying the submission of the report to the tribunal, he charged.

Shetty said that officials and politicians are working against Dakshina Kannada district. It is a conspiracy to loot the money in the name of Yettinahole project, he alleged.

To a question on former chief minister and BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa  supporting Yettinahole project, Shetty expressed displeasure and said that Yeddyurappa should not have issued a statement. But the BJP leaders of Dakshina Kannada district are confident of convincing Yeddyurappa to oppose the project. Had District In-Charge Minister B Ramanath Rai made up his mind against the project, it would have taken hardly a day to stop the project, he observed.

Former MLC Monappa Bhandary said after the ‘Pancha Theertha - Sapta Kshetra’ programme by MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, an awareness programme is being created among general public on the ill effects of the project. “We will convince Yeddyurappa to oppose the project during the BJP state working committee meeting on January 21 and 22,” he added.