Sakleshpur: A Sakleshpur court on Thursday ordered status quo in implementing the controversial Yettinahole Comprehensive Drinking Water project. As many as eight residents of the taluk had filed a representative suit seeking a stay on the project, citing violations in implementation.
H.A. Shilpa, civil judge (junior division), passed the orders to maintain status quo till the respondents in the case responded to the objections raised by the petitioners. The petitioners had alleged that the project was being implemented without acquiring land as per the procedure laid down in the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
One of the advocates representing the petitioners said that as per Section 11 of the Act, the government should take consent of land-owners and seek objections if any and fix the compensation. “In this case, land is being acquired without following the set procedure. We requested the court to stop the project in view of the violations. The court has ordered status quo and directed the respondents to respond,” he said.
The respondents are the Chief Secretary, Managing Director of Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Ltd., the project implementing agency, Hassan Deputy Commissioner and proprietor of Megha Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd., the contractor.
