Mangaluru: Villagers of Kuttettur allege that despite their village being marked as an ‘agriculture zone,’ by the Mangaluru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) KIADB has initiated land acquisition proceedings in the village for the 4th phase of Mangaluru Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL).
The state government through KIADB has initiated the land acquisition process of acquiring 1011.19 acres for the 4th phase of MRPL including land in Kuttettur, Permude, Thenka Yekkar and nearby villages. But Krishi Bhoomi Samrakshana Samithi, has severely opposed the land acquisition by the government in these villages as people are clearly opposed to the project.“MUDA has identified Kuttettur as an agriculture zone. But in the same village, KIADB wants to acquire land for MRPL 4th phase! How can land be acquired for industries?” Samithi Secretary Lawrance D’Cunha wondered.
He also alleged that the officials did not mention the crops grown in the land records. “Though we grow various types of crops in our land, the RTC provided by the revenue department does not mention any of our crops! This is a move to industrialise our land,” he alleged.
“The UPA government lead by Congress had claimed that Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (LARR) Act 2013 would help people as land cannot be acquired without the consent of 70 per cent people. Based on this Act, the state government had to make necessary amendments to the KIAD Act of 1966. But the Congress government in the state has not amended the KIAD Act due to which land is being acquired under the old draconian act. Our land too is being acquired under this old Act,” Lawrance said.
“Officials say that they would acquire land under this old act and provide us compensation under the new act. Can this happen?” he asked.
Samithi president Amin said that several caveats from several courts have been filed against most of the land owners as well as activists who are opposing the land grab.
