Mangaluru :Samiti left out of residents’ forum - demands correction

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Aug 22, 2015 : As per reports received,  Nagarika Horata Samiti, Jokatte, has protested to the State government for being  left out; the  samiti members from the district-level committee constituted to look into the concerns expressed by Jokatte and other neighbouring residents on the alleged pollution from coke and sulphur units of Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd. After hearing residents during his recent visit to the MRPL, Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan had asked DK DC   Adoor.B. Ibrahim to form a committee to look into the concerns expressed by the residents.

Last month ,  State government constituted a committee, headed by DC  Ibrahim, which includes Moodbidri MLA and Minister K. Abhayachandra Jain, Mangaluru North MLA B.A. Mohiuddin Bava, Police Commissioner S. Murugan, Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Panchayat P.I. Sreevidya, and Jokatte Gram Panchayat president.

The panchayat had  been asked to nominate three members, which can include panchayat members, as representatives of villagers in the committee.   Muneer Katipalla from the samiti said the State government has left out the samiti, which has been fighting for Jokatte and other neighbouring area residents, who were suffering from black dust and foul smell reportedly emanating from the coke and sulphur units.

Samiti members should be part of the committee. The committee should also give representation to people from Kalavaru, Kenjaru, Kulai and Thokur, who are also affected.   Muneer Katipalla said the committee should not restrict its working to issues related to the coke and sulphur unit, but also to concerns about other units that have come up in the Mangalore Special Economic Zone.