Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (RJP)
Udupi, Nov 13: Balakrishna Shetty an environment activist from Yellur, presently based in Dubai, has demanded that deputy commissioner of Udupi district should be replaced in a letter written to chief secretary of Karnataka government for 'loss of trust'. He has also said that public hearing relating to the UPCL expansion plan was stage managed.
The letter addressed to the chief secretary says that Udupi deputy commissioner needs to be replaced for the reasons cited.
The reasons mentioned in the letter are as below:
Adani UPCL held a totally stage-managed public hearing on November 10 for their proposed expansion of the Udupi Power Project by addition of 1600 MW to the existing 1200 MW to achieve final capacity of 2800 MW.
The public hearing was held when the prohibitory orders were in force with section 144 imposed in the area.
The local MLA Sorake made fervent requests to the deputy commissioner to postpone the public hearing as section 144 was in force but surprisingly deputy commissioner refused oblige.
Bus loads of people in thousands including hired goons were brought by the industry from Mangaluru and other far away cities and the locals and affected persons were not able to attend.
NEERI who prepared the environmental impact assessment of the project were not present.
The hired crowd kept praising the industry for their generous CSR all through whereas the impact and measures to mitigate the impacts were not debated or discussed.
Most shockingly the deputy commissioner himself along with the well taught hired crowd obstructed and stopped those who opposed the project expansion clearly proving the deputy commissioner's personal interest.
In addition to citing above reasons, Shetty also says “I hold video clippings proving all my allegations and can present them to you any time you require.”
The letter concludes with the request “In view of the above, I humbly request you to take away the present deputy commissioner from Udupi and replace him with a honest, responsible and committed deputy commissioner as the present deputy commissioner lost the peoples' trust and is therefore unfit to continue.”