Moodbidri : Villagers of Niddodi in Moodbidri are up in arms against the proposed Ultra Mega Thermal Power project in the village. On May 16, Monday they took up cudgels against the project, and on getting information that a central team had arrived for survey of land, rushed to the placed and blocked roads by placing stones.

They questioned the authorities for  visiting the place without any intimation. Finally AC Sadashiva Prabhu clarified that the villagers could not be informed as the local village accountant was on leave. He also said the  team had not arrived for any survey of land, but to  measure the distance between Niddodi, Western Ghats, Port as well as the rail route. He also said no decision would be taken without taking villagers into confidence.

The Central team was led by Central Electrical Authority Officer MS Puri and included Mangalore Assistant Commissioner Sadashiva Prabhu, Lakshman, Chief Engineer of KPTCL, Jagadish, MESCOM Executive Engineer and  Nagaraj, KIADB Land Acquisition Officer.

Kiran Manjanbailu, journalist and Convenor of  Matrabhoomi Horata Samithi  which has been in the lead in fighting against the project, said  the project would hit hard the  village particularly because most of the residents are farmers who would lose their livelihood in case the project was displaced. He said hundreds of families will also have to be  displaced.

A memorandum was submitted to the authorities by a delegation of villagers led by Joachim Koreya, President of Kallamundkur GP   and the government was demanded to drop the project.

On the other hand, Moodbidri Legislator Abhayachandra Jain has said that he would oppose the project which is against the interests of the people. He said the project was approved by the erstwhile BJP government. He also said he could not visit the place as he was in Bangalore. The MLA also said he had intimated the DC on the issue and had asked him to direct the team to leave.