Kesare residents relaunch protests against abattoir

MYSURU: Within days after Mysuru City Corporation secured a nod to build an abattoir at Kesare from district minister V Srinivas Prasad, the controversial project has led to street protests.
Localites, led by ward corproator Haseena Taj and BJP leaders, on Friday launched two separate dharnas, urging the civic body to shift the plant to the city's outskirts.They have warned of prolonged agitation in case MCC goes ahead with its plan at the plot.
This comes a day ahead of chief minister Siddaramaiah's visit to the city to launch various projects. Interestingly, it is JD(S) and BJP leaders - the allies in ruling the civic body --- who have launched the agitation. Mayor R Lingappa, a three-time JD(S) corporator, has been favouring the implementation of the project, arguing that they don't have any other site to shift it. However, his party colleague Haseena Taj hs asserted that the residents don't want it to be built there. Denying that she has taken a different stand from that of the party leaders, Haseena said that she is fighting for localites.
On Tuesday, Prasad gave the go-ahead for the project after a meeting with elected representatives, including Mysuru MP Prathap Simha and senior officials DC C Shikha and MCC commissioner C G Betsurmath. The civic body, which is proposing to build the plant at a cost of Rs 39.90 crore, has got part of the funds from the Centre. Karnataka State Pollution Control Board has also issued a no-objection certificate. Haseena, who had opposed the facility, launched a dharna on Thursday at the project site, while BJP leaders joined other organizations opposing the project, at RS Naidu Nagar.
Haseena, a first-time corporator, told TOI that the residents don't want the slaughterhouse to be built at the MCC plot. "It will pollute the area," she said, debunking the mayor's claim that the plant will not pollute the area. She stated that there are places of worship within 200 metres of the site. "There is a temple, a mosque and a church within 200 metres (radius)," she stated. When asked whether she has discussed the issue with the party leaders, Haseena said: "I have not discussed the issue in the party. I'm with the people of the area." The project was approved by the Union minister of food processing industries on March 4, 2014 after MCC zeroed in on its plot at Kesare.
Meanwhile BJP leaders, led by the party's city chief Maruthi Rao Pawar, staged a protest at RS Naidu Nagar, close to the project site, on Friday. Former minister and party MLC C H Vijayashankar, who joined the protesters, urged the civic authorities to relocate the proposed plant outside the MCC limits.