‘No proposal for thermal power plant at Mulur’

NEW ROLE: K.S. Eshwarappa being felicitated by BJP workers at a function at the Town Hall in Mangalore on Monday. Home Minister V.S. Acharya is to his right. Photo: R. Eswarraj

President of the State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party K.S. Eshwarappa said here on Monday that no company had approached the Government for setting up a thermal power plant at Mulur, near Padubidri, in Udupi district.

Replying to a question at a press conference, he said, “We will examine whenever a proposal for setting up a second thermal plant in the region comes up before the Government.”

However, Mr. Eshwarappa said that the State needed electricity and there was no point in opposing all power projects.

He claimed that the Government would not acquire land for power projects or other industrial projects by force.

Union Minister for Power Sushilkumar Shinde had gone on record that all houses in the country would have access to electricity by 2012. “It will not be possible to achieve this unless power projects are allowed to come up,” Mr. Eshwarappa said.

Later, addressing party workers after being felicitated at the Town Hall here, he said a majority of Muslims and Christians in the country had not yet “accepted” the BJP. But they would do so in the coming years, he said.

He accused the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) of creating fear psychosis among minority communities that the BJP would not protect their interests. Describing the party workers in Dakshina Kannada as “more organised”, he said, “I am beginning my tour as State BJP president from here only to learn your skills in organising the party.”

President of the district unit of the party K. Padmanabha Kottari, Mayor M. Shankar Bhat and Minister in-charge of the district J. Krishna Palemar were present.

K. Santhosh Kumar Bhandary, president, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat, who was elected on Congress ticket but became president of the panchayat with BJP support, garlanded Mr. Eshwarappa.

‘Stop dreaming’

Our Udupi Staff Correspondent reports: State BJP president K.S. Eshwarappa said on Monday that Opposition parties should stop dreaming about unseating the BJP from power.

Speaking at a district-level BJP workers’ meeting here, Mr. Eshwarappa said that the Opposition parties were not interested in discussing serious issues. “Our Government will complete its term under the leadership of Mr. Yeddyurappa,” he said.

Udaykumar Shetty took charge as the president of district unit of the BJP on the occasion.

Home Minister V.S. Acharya, D.V. Sadananda Gowda, MP, and Kota Srinivas Poojary, MLC, were present.