Residents of Yellur prevent KPTCL from laying high-tension cables

Residents of Yellur prevent KPTCL from laying high-tension cables

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, May 15, 2012: The people of Yellur did not allow Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) to lay high tension cables for transmitting 400KV power from Udupi Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) to Hassan on May 14, Monday. 

Sumana, president of Yellur Gram Panchayat (GP); Jayanth Kumar, GP member; Nagesh Bhat, GP member; Arun Shetty, ZP member; Prakash Shetty, vice president of VHP district unit; Navin N. Shetty; and many others prevented KPTCL from laying high tension cables.

Govind Rao, the superintendent engineer for KPTCL, and P. D. B. Rao, its executive engineer, said that the company is laying high tension cables according to the directives of the deputy commissioner (DC).
The protestors argued that KPTCL had the DC’s permission to lay cables from Nandikoor to Hassan and not within the limits of Yellur GP as the company had to take the GP’s permission for that. 

P. D. B. Rao told reporters that the company has completed nearly 90 percent of the work of laying high tension cables for 180kms from Hassan to UPCL. The company has to construct three towers and lay high-tension cables within the limits of Yellur GP and Nandikoor. He said that the company has to receive the GP’s permission only if the cables pass through forest area, not otherwise. 

Several people in Yellur say that the KPTC is laying cables on their land without giving them any prior notice or awarding them any compensation. 

Govind Rao said that the residents had refused the compensation on grounds that it is too low.
Meanwhile, the police beefed up security at the venue. Shivanand Walekar, the circle inspector of Kaup, and Mahadev Shetty, the sub inspector of Padubidri, were present. Praveen and Mohan, KPTCL assistant executive engineers, and Kumar, executive engineer, were also present. 

KPTCL continued the work after showing the protestors the DC’s written order at around 3:15 p.m. on Monday.