Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur, Dec 15: Villagers of Katbelthur here held a strong protest on Monday December 14 opposing the construction of an 'unscientific' fish mill in the residential area. They alleged that the mill obtained permission from the gram panchayat and the department of environment due to political connections. The people expressed anguish after they learnt that a businessman from Udupi was constructing the building for the fish mill with a budget of more than a crore on a land purchased from a local person.

Hundreds of residents who gathered in front of Katbelthur gram panchayat office shouted slogans against gram panchayat for giving permission for the fish mill and gram panchayat vice-president and PDO who helped to issue the letter of permission.

Kookanadu Somashekar Shetty, who spoke on the occasion, said that gram panchayat gave permission despite stong objections from the villagers.

"The department of environment has also given its permission based on the permission by the gram panchayat. Political leaders have also conspired in it. the gram panchayat should cancel the license and prevent contamination of water in the village and spread of diseases," they urged.

State BJP Raita Morcha vice-president Deepak Kumar Shetty addressing the protesters said that the place of the proposed factory is a residential area. "The villagers have alleged that the environment would get contaminated and give rise to communicable diseases if the factory is set up. The gram panchayat before giving the license should have called for a meeting to know the apprehensions of the villagers. The gram panchayat officials giving permission without any discussion for their selfish motives is a violation of the law. They should cancel their license, call for a gram panchayat meeting and decide," he said.

Meanwhile women who participated in the protest also expressed their anguish.

The protesters also submitted a memorandum to the gram panchayat.
Gram panchayat members Chandrashekar Bhat, Rama Shetty, Shobha G Putran, Ambika Balegar and local Harish led the protests.

Businessman Prasad Shetty, responding to the protestors denied that a fish mill was being started here. "Instead the fish will be only frozen at minus 40 degrees and packed here. It will cause no problems to locals," he said.