The Hindu

• He did not show any interest in the points raised by the samithi: Hegde 
• Five companies have not sought power from Central Grid
• Samithi demands release of its president

Udupi, May 1: Vice-president of Nagarjuna Virodhi Horata Samithi Vijaykumar Hegde on Sunday described as misleading Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's statement that the coal-based Nagarjuna Power Project was essential as the State was facing acute power shortage.

Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Hegde said the State was generating 7,735 MW of power, while the consumption was only 5,500 MW. The highest demand for power last year was 6,600 MW. Even then, there was excess of 1,000 MW of power. Whatever power was produced in the State had to go to the Central Grid. It was only if the five electricity companies made a demand for electricity that power could be sought from the Central Grid. But the five companies had not made such a demand.

The Chief Minister had called four meetings with the office bearers of the samithi. But during these meetings, he did not show any interest in the points raised by the samithi, he said.

Fisheries Minister B. Nagaraj Shetty had said that he would go by the report submitted by the samithi after its members were taken for a study tour of the Simhadri Thermal Power Plant in Visakhapatnam.

When the samithi prepared a report after the study tour, it kept Mr. Shetty informed about it. Mr. Shetty's statement that he had not been taken into confidence with regard to the report, which was submitted to the Chief Minister, was baseless, Mr. Hegde said. Medical Education Minister V.S. Acharya, who is in-charge of the district, was in favour of the project though he was against it earlier, he said.

The police arrested president of the samithi Lakshman Shetty on false charges on April 25. Mr. Shetty should be released immediately, he said.

"The Government should not convert Nandikur into another Nandigram. If the Government did not give up its plan of setting up the coal-based project in the district, the samithi will launch a struggle," Mr. Hegde said.