Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jan 19: Former MLA K Vijayakumar Shetty, who is also the president of Netravati Samrakshana Samyukta Samiti that is spearheading protest against the ongoing Yettinahole river diversion project, said that the committee would be launching its 'surgical strike' on Republic Day, January 26, as Karnataka chief minister, Siddaramaiah, has failed to respond to any of the demands put forth by the committee.

"This will be the final action being taken by the committee," he announced at a press meet here on Wednesday January 18.

Shetty refused to spell exact details of the proposed 'surgical strike'. He said all details would be revealed in court of time, and that all people's representatives from the region would be brought together for the final action. 

"A survey was undertaken on January 2 and 3 in the area where project work has been undertaken, and its report was due to be submitted to the Green Tribunal at New Delhi on January 14. Hearing about the case was to be held on January 16. But this has been put off to January 20. The government has failed to meet deadline for submission of report. Some politicians and officials have come together for the purpose. They are doing this purposefully," he alleged.

He revealed that the judge has expressed his readiness to do whatever he can if the report is not submitted by January 20. "We will examine the report and take further steps. Our only aim is to block the project. We will not wilt under any pressure. We will continue our fight till our aim is achieved," he stressed.

He criticized Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister, B Ramanath Rai, for not doing anything in the issue although he has the might to stop the project in an instant if he makes up his mind to do so. He also commented that the minister has undertaken some development initiatives in his constituency, but the district as a whole is not witnessing such development works. Terming Yeddyurappa's statement that he would meet people from this district and convince them about the relevance of the said project as unfortunate, Shetty said the Samiti members will soon meet him and apprise him about the adverse impact of the project on coastal region.

Samiti conveners, Sharaj Shetty Kolambe, Satyajit Suratkal, former MLC, K Monappa Bhandary, were present at the press conference.

Survey team goes back: It is learnt that a team of forest officials which visited the forest area on January 2 and 3 to physically count the number of trees felled for the project returned without being able to do this work. It is gathered that it has sought satellite pictures of the area from Forest Survey of India. Sources say that the team concluded that it could not count the trees felled as works have already been undertaken at the project area. The Green Tribunal headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar had asked the team of officials to conduct the said survey as the complainants had expressed doubt about the veracity of the report submitted by the state government. The complainants are now likely to question the method of working of this committee in the tribunal.