On Tuesday, the government gave in to a 24-hour ultimatum issued by the seer of Udupi Pejawar Mutt, Visvesha Thirtha, to withdraw a move to acquire 2,035 acres of land for an SEZ in Mangalore.
On Wednesday, the government paid heed to farmers’ protests led by another seer — from Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa’s Lingayat community — and threats from opposition parties to stop acquisition of 3,000 acres of land for a Posco steel plant in Gadag.
On Wednesday night, Chief Minister’s office in a statement said Yeddyurappa had asked for land acquisition in Gadag for a Rs 32,336 crore Posco steel plant to stop as well. “There is no necessity of strikes, protests and dharnas in connection with the land acquisition. Our government is not interested in establishing industries by neglecting the interests of the farmers,” the statement said.