Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda who had arrived at the DC office in Mangalore on May 6, Sunday to take part in a progress review meet, surprised many by choosing to ignore the Akhila Bharatha Karmika Sangha office bearers who are on a hunger strike in front of the DC office since the past six days seeking a solution to the problems confronting the ESI hospital.
Sri Vishwesha Theertha Swamiji who visited the Phalguni river banks where the SEZ has encroached the river by dumping mud, has said that ‘The SEZ officials had lied that they had removed all the dumped mud from the area.” This was the seer’s second visit to the area during the past one month period.
Rajya Sabha member, senior Congress leader and former union minister Oscar Fernandes stunned the media by stating that the encroachment of Phalguni River near Kulur by dumping mud in the river would benefit the locals as they would get fresh water instead of saline water.
The CRZ authorities who have permitted the SEZ to go ahead with the controversial corridor road project, have now embarked upon the task of harassing those who are part of the agitation against the encroachment of the river by the SEZ contractors. It has new lodged a complaint against Vidya Dinker of Citizens’ Forum, Godfrey D’Souza, T R Bhat, Dinesh Shetty, Pius ‘Souza and Hemalatha Bhat alleging that they have harassed the CRZ authorities.
The Regional Director(Environment) of the CRZ Mahesh Kumar, who had come to inspect the Phalguni river banks following complaints of encroachment, has surprised everyone through his comment that “The MSEZ has not encroached the Phalguni River which comes under CRZ limits.”
Residents of Melkoppala and Attibailu on the banks of the Phalguni river near Kulur, have continued their agitation against the district administration as well as the SEZ authorities which have failed to ensure steps to see that all the mud dumped unauthorisedly by encroaching a portion of Phalguni river be removed. The mud was dumped to facilitate the SEZ corridor road project.
Manual cleaning of manholes was once again noticed at the busy State Bank area in Mangalore on May 2, Wednesday, making a mockery of the district administration as well as a law enforcing agencies.
Residents of Attibailu and Melkoppala villages picketed the MSEZ office on May 2, Wednesday in protest against the failure to remove all the mud dumped by its contractor in the Phalguni river near Kulur to facilitate the SEZ corridor road project.
The DK District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has slapped a penalty of Rs 5000 on the APMC at Baikampady for withholding the trade license of a trader for long.
Officials who arrived for a site inspection on the banks of Gurupur river at Ammunje and Kariangala on May 1, Tuesday for the Kochi-Mangalore-Bangalore pipeline project were offered a stiff resistance and sent back by the villagers.