Southern States - Karnataka   

R.K.Powergen asked to resume work on plant

By Raviprasad Kamila

CHITRADURGA MARCH 5. The State Government has asked R.K.Powergen Private Ltd., a Chennai-based company, to resume work on the 20-MW biomass-based power generation plant at Hiriyur in Chitradurga District.

The Government Order (GO), issued on February 26, has also ordered the Deputy Commissioner to "provide cooperation and police protection to the company till the completion of the work".

The GO was issued on a direction by the Chief Minister, S.M.Krishna.

The company stopped work on the Rs. 50-crore plant following stiff opposition from the local people.

Two persons died in police firing when a bandh called by different organisations to protest against the setting up of the plant, turned violent on July 25.

A Joint House Committee, constituted by the Government, to look into the police firing and other aspects of the setting up of the plant, submitted its final report in December and it was tabled in both Houses of the legislature.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner, C.N.Sitaram, today wrote to the Government that some local leaders and people were still opposed to the plant. Hence, there was a need to convene a meeting of local leaders and representatives of the company before starting the work to avoid trouble.

The controversy could be ended only if K.H.Ranganath, Minister for Forests, who is also the district in-charge, presided over the meeting, the letter said.

The Deputy Commissioner's letter followed the GO that ordered him to provide "police protection and co-operation" to the company till the completion of the work.

The authorities here were not certain whether resumption of work could lead to fresh trouble as the opposition to the power plant has not reduced yet.

"There is a GO and we have to follow that," they said.

Police maintained that it was not their duty to convene a meeting and educate the people on the merits or demerits of setting up the plant.

The authorities concerned should do that. Still a meeting would be held to avoid any law and order problem, a senior police official said.

The Joint House Committee, quoting a Pollution Control Board and the Department of Mines and Geology report, said that the proposed project would not harm the environment.

The report held the district administration responsible for not properly tackling the violence on July 25.

Earlier (after the July 25 police firing), the Government had directed the company to stop the work until the House committee submitted its report.

On January 14 this year, the Government directed the Deputy Commissioner to permit the company to resume work, but he had not acted on the direction.

The local people are opposed to the project on the ground that it would threaten the groundwater table.

It may be mentioned here that an intelligence report on August 11 last spoke of about a lakh people joining the agitation if the company resumed work on the plant. It said the agitation had received "mass support" after the police firing.

But sources said these observations might not hold good now due to the "some rapid developments" later.

A former minister from Hiriyur who is with the Janata Dal (Secular) now had been thought to be mainly responsible for instigating violence during the bandh on July 25 last.

A top JD (S) leader had reportedly "snubbed" the former minister for not controlling the mob and instigating violence for "personal gains".

It is said that since the company authorities have "taken into confidence" the local leaders and others who could create trouble for them, no major problem could be foreseen.

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