Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Jan 7: Sri Vishweshateertha Swamiji, head of Pejavar Mutt here, in a release dated Friday January 6, announced that he will be undertaking a three-day fast from January 9 to 11 on the issue of Udupi Power Corporation Ltd (UPCL). The protest is planned against the government’s action of dropping two subject experts from the committee of experts appointed by the government to study the environmental pollution and other ill-effects of UPCL.

The Swamiji feels slighted and insulted by this action, taken by state Chief Minister, D V Sadananda Gowda, and district in-charge minister, Dr V S Acharya. He revealed that he will go without any food for three days by camping in a temple located in the vicinity of Padubidri, near the UPCL site.

“On my suggestion, two environmentalists, Y B Ramakrishna, and T V Ramachandra, had been appointed as members of the team entrusted with the task of studying the environmental pollution and other problems created by UPCL thermal power plant at Nandikoor near Padubidri. Without any advance intimation, without issuing any show cause notice, and without even consulting me, these two have been dropped from the committee. This is an insult to me as well as to these experts,” he explained.

The Swamiji said he had asked Chief Minister for the reasons behind the above move. He said he was not satisfied by the Chief Minister’s reply that the experts were dropped at the behest of Dr V S Acharya, and that Acharya alone would be able to clarify the matter. The Swamiji has sought the support of everyone from the region for this moderate form of protest.