Mangaluru: They almost lost their land, but regained it in 2011. Now there is a sense of deja vu as the same threat looms over them again. People of Permude and Kuttettur in Dakshina Kannada district had celebrated when, giving in to pressure from activists, the government had denotified about 2,000 acres acquired in 2006 from their villages among others for the second phase of the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL)'s expansion.
But now with the government announcing its plans to acquire 1050 acres from their villages for the fourth phase of the refinery, their fears of losing their land have re-surfaced. Angry activists are afraid most of the land proposed to be acquired now for MRPL’s fresh expansion could be the same as the land denotified five years ago.
“Despite opposition from the locals, the government is planning to acquire their land. Preparations are on to issue the first notification, but nobody is ready to reveal the exact stretch that will be acquired,” said activist Vidya Dinker.
“The new land acquisition was unanimously opposed by the people during the Gram Sabha held on May 5. We will make all effort to stop this land acquisition too,” she declared.
The farmers of Kuttettur and Permude, who grow vegetables, bananas, arecanut and coconut, besides paddy in the fields, say they could lose their source of livelihood if the government goes ahead with its plans.
