Newskarnataka – Mangalore

Mangalore: Students from various colleges across the city boycotted classes and took out a huge protest rally on February 22, Saturday opposing the implementation of the  proposed Netravathi river diversion or Yettinahole Project. The college bundh call was given by the Karavali Jeevanadi Netravathi Rakshana Samithi.

The protest rally was taken out from Jyothi Circle to the Deputy Commissioner’s Office.  Addressing the protestors, Vijaykumar Shetty, President of the Netravathi Rakshana Samithi and former MLA said  the politicians  are hell bent upon implementing the project by staking the interests of the district. He warned that farmers, fishermen and all people of the district would be adversely affected if the project was implemented. The project would render the district into a desert, he warned.

Pointing out that the project  estimates  which stood at Rs 8500 crores has been recently revised to Rs 12000 crores, Shetty said  on the pretext of   supplying water to drought hit areas, there are plans to supply the water to  industries at several places.

He demanded that local ministers and elected representatives who cannot pressurise the government to stall the project, must tender their resignation.

M G Hegde who also spoke, took strong exception to the statement of Harsha Moily who has defended  the project. He demanded that both Harsha Moily and his father Union Minister Veerappa Moily must come for talks within a week lest they should walk out of the district. He also asked all MLAs and ministers from DK and Udupi districts to  participate in an open debate on the issue lest  a bundh call will be given in Udupi and DK districts.

Shashiraj Shetty, Dinesh Holla, student leaders  Rakshith, Roopesh Rai, Nemiraj,  Dinaker Shetty and others were present.