Govt. going ahead with UKTL project without mandatory consent of 85% of project-affected people, allege farmers

Farmers in Karnataka are protesting against the UKTL project for not following government guidelines and threatening their livelihoods.

Samasta UKTL (Udupi-Kasaragod Transmission Project Ltd.) and Virodhi Horata Samithigala Okkuta (Federation of Action Committees Opposing UKTL Project) on Monday, October 28, accused the government of going ahead with the project without obtaining the mandatory consent of 85% of the project-affected people.

Guidelines of both Union and State governments are not being followed while implementing the project and farmers who will lose their land for the project have been kept in the dark on the entire project, it alleged.

The Okkuta said it would soon launch a massive agitation against the project with the support of farmers from other parts of Karnataka. As a first step in this regard, it will take out a motorbike rally from Yellur in Udupi district to Punacha in Dakshina Kannada within a week.

Addressing presspersons Inna Chandrahasa Shetty, a member of the Okkuta and General Secretary of the Karkala taluk unit of Bharatiya Kisan Sangha, said that the rally will be taken out in phases to create awareness among people against the project.

He said that farmers had not been served with notices before taking up the project. The guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Power on June 14, 2024, made it clear that landowners should be issued notices before proceeding with the project.

Mr. Shetty said that farmers’ land for the project is being used under Right of Way (RoW) and not through acquisition.

He said that 1,150 acres of fertile farmland with standing crops will be directly lost to the project in the twin districts. In addition, 2,300 acres will be lost as no shed, building or structure can be built in those lands.