Udupi: ISPRL 2nd phase land aquisition – Angry villagers stop KIADB officials from surveying land

Kapu:  The process of acquiring 210 acres of land for Phase-II work of the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL) at Majoor Gram Panchayat limits has started a few weeks back, but angry villagers stopped Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) officials who arrived in the Padur village “unannounced” for survey work, on Tuesday.

Those whose land was being acquired for the second phase of the project in Padur said that the present market value of the land in Padur was very low and demanded to allow JMC survey only after getting assurance of the compensation value would be calculated based on the land value in the adjoining village.

The villagers said several petitions were submitted to the Deputy Commissioner through local representatives including MLA Lalaji R. Mendon, union minister Shobha Karandlaje, national commission for women member Shyamala Kunder, and others. The DC had assured to hold a special meeting to sort out the issues raised, they said.

But on Tuesday, when the KIADB officials suddenly started the survey without giving any information to the gram panchayat or the police station, the angry villagers blocked the survey work and sent back the officials until pending demands are sorted out.