Karkala: Villagers or Renjala-Irvattur are up in arms against the RMC Jelly Crusher unit functioning at Renjala. Hundreds of people participated in a huge protest on Thursday July 24, seeking measures to stop operations at the plant.

It may be recalled here that villagers had  stiffly opposed the plant when it started operations four years ago. Though the company then had responded to the pleas of the locals, until now none of the promises have been fulfilled, forcing the villagers to take the path of agitation.

The villagers complained that the use of powerful explosives at the crusher  has on many occasions endangered the lives of cattle when sharp splinters of jelly stones  hit them. The roads in the area too have turned from bad to worse due to frequent movement of hundreds of tippers. Villagers opposing the same are threatened by goonda elements, they alleged.

The several appeals to the local elected representatives and the district administration too have proved futile.

The protest held on Thursday in front of the Gram Panchayat office was participated  by  Mahaveer Hegde, President of the Grama Hitharakshana Samithi, Taluk Panchayat Member Nagappa Mera, Gram Panchayat President Surekha Kotian, Ramesh V Shetty, Praveen Shetty, Rajesh Renjala and others.

Earlier, the villagers also took out a protest march.