Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has reportedly directed the Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada against acquiring any land for the second phase of the Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ), according to K. Somanath Nayak, president of the Nagarika Seva Trust.
In a press release issued here on Tuesday, Mr. Nayak said that the Chief Minister gave a verbal assurance to this effect when a team consisting of members from Nagarika Seva Trust Guruvayanakere, Krishi Bhoomi Samrakshana Samiti, Karavali Karnataka Janabhivridhdhi Vedike and MSEZ Pradesha Samrakshana Samiti met him on Monday night.
The Chief Minister is also said to have informed the team that he had received the report of the Regional Commissioner, Mysore, M.V. Jayanti, regarding the demolition of Gregory Patrao's house. Ms. Jayanti had on July 17 visited the demolished house of Mr. Patrao, a farmer whose land was acquired by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board after he lost a case in the High Court. The Chief Minister has reportedly said that he would take action after studying the report.
The trust quoted Mr. Yeddyurappa as saying that he would also take action after personally studying the issue of the Kudubi families whose land was acquired for MSEZ. The team claimed to have demanded that the recommendations of the carrying capacity study carried out by Madhav Gadgil be implemented.
Mr. Nayak said that as requested by the Chief Minister, the organisations had decided to cancel the protest against the MSEZ they were planning to stage on September 6.
