Pejavar seer withdraws proposed fast after Govt. issues denotification order

July 13, 2011

Mangalore, July 13: As one of his major demands was fulfilled by the state government, Pejawar Mutt chief pontiff Vishvesha Thirtha Swami formally announced that he withdrew from the proposed indefinite fast against land acquisition for second phase of Mangalore Special Economic Zone.

Addressing the media persons here on Wednesday, the seer said the official order from government through Principal Secretary has reached him assuring denotification of 1998.3 acres out of 2,035 acres of notified land for MSEZ.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Prabhakar Sharma formally handed over the order copy of the state government to the seer on the occasion.

However, Mr Theertha said he would decide his future course of action on UPCL Nandikur after verifying the report of environmental impact study by the experts which includes two experts suggested by him.

“Within three months, government should submit the report and I will decide on October 2 what to do next?” he said.

The swamiji's fast against the acquisition of agricultural land for industry was scheduled to begin on Wednesday.

“We have already lost over 9,000 acres to industrial units, including Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited, BASF India, UdupiPower Corporation Limited and many other such units after Bangalore-Mangalore became the largest industrial zone in the state. We have already got our share of chemical and oil pollution. How much more should this district sacrifice?” the swamiji earlier had questioned.

MSEZ MD cannot comment, yet

Meanwhile, the managing director of the Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ), Rajiv Banga, said, “I am yet to get any communication from the government. There are procedures to denotify land. The MSEZ was a special-purpose vehicle, constituted by the Government of India. At present, the MSEZ has 1,600 acres. To become a multi-product SEZ, under the law, the SEZ should have not less than 2,500 acres. Presently, ONGC Mangalore Petrochemicals Limited (OMPL) and the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL) have already started coming up with their plants. Three more companies have signed memoranda.”