Udupi : Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Pejawar Mutt has opposed the expansion of Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) as they are acquiring the land without the consent of the public.
The seer said the MRPL has been extending its projects at different stages. While in the first stage, about 1050 acres have been taken in Delantabettu, Kuttettur, Tenka Ekkar and Permude villages, for the third stage, 251 acres was used, and in the fourth stage, the company demanded 1050 acres. The seer demanded to know why a huge tract of land was needed and said that the land acquisition should take place as per the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. He also said that since these lands are fertile agricultural land, these should not be used for industrial purposes but be given for farming.
He also pointed out that the expansion requires about 6.06 crore litres of water. However, as DK is suffering a huge shortage of water how then can a government agree to give so much water, he questioned.