Yettinahole : Case against CM Siddaramaiah in National Green Tribunal

Yettinahole : Case against CM Siddaramaiah in National Green Tribunal

Mangalore Today News Network

Belthangady, May 13, 2016 : A case stands filed with the  Chennai Bench of the National Green Tribunal against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who also happens to be the Chairman of the Karnataka  Irrigation Corporation for going ahead with the controversial Yettinahole Project without paying any heed to the  widespread opposition to the project from environments and people of the district alike.

The petition filed against the CM alleging that forest land has been damaged in implementation of irrigation projects, will come up for hearing on May 19.

The case was filed with the Tribunal on March 28 for the second time by environmentalist KN Somashekhar after  the first appeal was rejected. Following the rejection of the first appeal, a review petition was filed   which too was ignored questioning how many writs would be filed against Yettinahole.

Finally, it was only after the advocate for the petitioner apprised the Tribunal  that much injustice has been done regarding Yettinahole that it permitted the petitioner to file a fresh petition which was eventually filed on March 28. The same was taken up for hearing by the Tribunal on May 12, Thursday.

Somashekhar said the fresh petition has been filed very carefully without giving room for any flaw. He also stated that the CM who is also the Chairman of the Irrigation Corporation may have to even face jail term if the verdict comes in  favour of environmentalists.

The next hearing will be held on May 19 and the case is believed to be a challenge to the Irrigation Corporation as well as the Chief Minister.

Here it is worth mentioning that the  verdict in another petition, the hearing of which has been completed in January is not yet out. Meanwhile, stay to the Yettinahole works has been vacated and the works are underway  by causing harm to Western Ghats, alleged Somashekhar.