Thaindian News

Gadag (Karnataka), July 13 (IANS) Karnataka Wednesday dropped plans for land acquisition for a special economic zone (SEZ) on the west coast while opposition to takeover of land for POSCO steel plant in this town in the north intensified.

Takeover of nearly 2,000 acres of land in Mangalore, about 350 km form Bangalore, for the SEZ was given up following Tuesday’s indefinite fast threat by head of Pejawar Math Sri Vishwesha Tirtha Swami.

Pejawar Math is in the temple town of Udupi, about 60 km from Mangalore, the main town in coastal Karnataka.

The Pejawar pontiff claimed that Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa had “promised” him three days back that he will withdraw the notification for land acquisition in Mangalore by July 10. “It has not been done. Hence, I will start the fast at Mangalore Wednesday,” he said.

The pontiff Wednesday gave up his fast plans as the government dropped the land acquisition process.

The SEZ, approved by the central government, will now come up on 1,721 acres already acquired for it.

Yeddyurappa, who is in New Delhi to discuss the state’s power problems with the central government, sent a letter to the Pejawar pontiff Wednesday informing him about his government’s decision.

The move comes even as the Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) leaders trooped into this north Karnataka town, about 400 km from Bangalore, to express support to religious leaders and farmers opposing acquisition of over 3,500 acres for the POSCO steel plant.

JD-S state president and former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and leader of the opposition in the assembly Siddaramaiah of the Congress separately met Sri Siddalinga Swami of Thontada Math here Wednesday and backed the agitation against land takeover for POSCO.

Kumaraswamy alleged that Yeddyurappa and state Large and Medium Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani have received a kickback of over Rs.500 crore to facilitate the setting up of the steel plant.

“The agreement allows POSCO to export iron ore to South Korea which will result in a loss of Rs.100,000 crore to India,” the JD-S leader claimed, demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe to bring out the truth.

He said the JD-S would join the religious leaders and farmers to launch a state-wide agitation against the Yeddyurappa government’s land acquisition drive.

Siddaramaiah said “fertile lands are being acquired and our party will fight against it”.

On reports in a section of the media in Karnataka that Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, who has just ended a ‘padayatra’ against land acquisition in Uttar Pradesh, would visit Gadag soon, Siddaramaiah said: “We have not talked to him about this problem. If needed, we will discuss with him.”

Yeddyurappa and Nirani have denied that the land for POSCO was being forcibly acquired. “The agitation is politically motivated. A majority of farmers whose land has been sought have agreed to part with it as they are getting good compensation.”

“We are confident of persuading those reluctant to give up the land. We are talking to them,” he told reporters in Bangalore.

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