Villagers oppose SEZ plan

By Gururaj A Paniyadi

Mangalore, May 9: The Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ), being established by the ONGC-MRPL combine, suffered a setback on Friday when its officials, who visited Permude to survey for land for the second phase of the SEZ, met with a strong protest by villagers here.

The MSEZ officials, who came to the village accompanied by a good number of police personnel, had come to survey 15.34 acres of land for the second phase of the SEZ project at Permude village, about 25 kms from Mangalore. As soon as the officials entered the village, the villagers gathered and opposed the survey work.

"We have filed our objections against the acquisition work on March 22. But the MSEZ officials just served notice last night and today they have come to survey. As per the rules they have to serve us 30 days’ notice. Instead, they have not given even one day," the local people alleged.

They also added that the notice was served on Thursday night to only a few illiterate villagers and not to all.

The villagers were supported by members of the Krishi Bhoomi Samrakashana Samiti, which is fighting against the MSEZ project. The Samiti members took the matter to the notice of the Special Land Acquisition Officer of KIADB, Mangalore, and demanded that the survey work be stopped.

The officer agreed to defer the work until after the elections. Samiti members alleged that the MSEZ had acquired 1,800 acres of land under the first phase of the project, but had approval to acquire only 1,544 acres.