The interests of farmers and other landowners will be safeguarded and they will be paid adequate compensation before acquiring land for the expansion of the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL), said Large and Medium Scale Industries Minister R.V. Deshpande.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the Kadri Manjunatha temple here on Saturday, Mr. Deshpande said that adequate precautions are being taken to safeguard the interests of farmers and other landowners during the acquisition of land in Permude, Kuthethoor, Tenka Yekkaru, Mooluru and Kandavara villages of Mangaluru Taluk.
“Land will not be acquired at the cost of farmers. Their welfare and interests will be safeguarded,” Mr. Despande said and added that they would also get jobs in public sector units. Houses too will be provided. There will be no pollution from units that come up here. The MRPL will be investing nearly ₹25,000 crore towards expanding its operation and improving quality of fuel, he said.
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The preliminary notification for acquisition of 1,011 acres was issued in December. Activists and farmers are questioning this acquisition as this was being done under provisions of Karnataka Industrial Area Development Act 1966 and not under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
Mr. Deshpande said that similar objections were raised when acquisition was done to set up MRPL unit. “Now people approach me for jobs there (in MRPL),” he said.