Dakshina Kannada district administration on Tuesday made a futile attempt to convince the Netravathi Rakshana Samyukta Samithi of the need to withdraw its call for “voluntary Dakshina Kannada bandh” on Thursday against the Yettinahole or Netravathi diversion project.
Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim, who convened a meeting of activists of the samithi and other officials, including the police, said that he would make an attempt to arrange a meeting with the Chief Minister. The activists could get their issues resolved with the government at the meeting. He asked the samithi to review its decision.
Mr. Ibrahim said that the project had the approval of the Cabinet and it was being implemented with the consent of four Chief Ministers who earlier headed the government.
Police Commissioner M. Chandra Sekhar and Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police Sharanappa S.D. also requested the committee to review its decision.
But president of the samithi K. Vijaya Kumar Shetty said that it was too late now and that the samithi has asked people to observe a bandh voluntarily.
Mr. Shetty said that the government itself did not have clarity on the project. It did not consult the stakeholders, including the people of Dakshina Kannada, before going ahead with the project.
Citing the example of the Varahi Irrigation Project in Udupi district, Mr. Shetty said that the project had not been completed even after 36 years of its launch. Its cost has escalated from Rs. 6 crore to about Rs. 600 crore now.
Also, Pratapchandra Shetty, MLC, at a public meeting in Siddapura recently went on record saying that the Varahi project was not benefiting farmers when they needed its water most in summer. Instead, its water was being diverted to power projects run by some contractors in the same region.
“When there is a living example of objectives failing, who will stand guarantee for Yettinahole project?” Mr. Shetty asked.
Mr. Shetty then alleged that the Yettinahole project was nothing but a “money minting project” with the involvement of some elected representatives and bureaucrats.
