Netravathi Uttara Needi turns out damp squib; leaders fail to give convincing replies

Netravathi Uttara Needi turns out damp squib; leaders fail to give convincing replies

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sep 20, 2015 :  The Yettinahole Uttara Needi programme organised by the Sahyadri Samrakshana Sanchaya at Roshni Nilaya here on September 19, Saturday  seeking reply from elected representatives to the ten questions posed regarding the project,  turned out  to  be almost a damp squib with only five out of the 13 elected representatives  of the coastal district making it to the programme.

Only Health Minister UT Khader, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, MLC Capt. Ganesh Karnik,  MLA Angara and Moidin Bava attended the meeting while District in-charge Minister B Ramanatha Rai, Sports Minister Abhayachandra Jain, Union Law Minister DV Sadananda Gowda, former union minister Veerappa Moily, MLAs JR Lobo, Shakuntala Shetty and Vasanth Bangera had abstained.

Though the  leaders present tried to give their replies to the ten questions posed it did not convince the organisers. A five member expert committee of the organisers who were present posed counter questions to the leaders  who found it difficult to give replies.

Health  Minister Khader stated that he was not a technical expert and therefore had got the answers from  government  authorities and assured to bring the    grievances of the people to the notice of the  government. However, the answers which Khader had managed to procure from authorities were rejected by the organisers stating that it was not the formal reply of the minister.

In his turn, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said  he wants the immediate suspension of the work which is nothing but unscientific  and waste of public funds. He  said he would always support the movement against the project and added that he attended the meeting to request the activists not to drop their protest for any reason.

MLC Capt. Karnik too strongly opposed the project and said though people of the region are not opposed to providing water to Kolar  and other districts, it was not proper to  supply water   by keeping the public  here in the dark and causing damage to environment.

On behalf of the organisers Giridhar Kamath, Dinesh Holla, Kateel Dinesh Pai, Yatiraj, Sunder Rao, Prince, Shashidhar Shetty and Somashekhar posed questions to the elected representatives.

Elected reps arrive two hours late: For almost  two hours since 4 pm, the time when the meet was to begin, all the 13 chairs kept for the leaders were vacant.  When it was nearly 5.55pm, the organisers had almost planned to take a snap of the empty podium and post it on Whatsapp. However,  Nalin, Angara and Capt.  Karnik arrived at 5.55 pm followed by Khader and Moidin Bava at 6.10 pm.