Karnataka - Mangalore

‘MSEZ will render many homeless, jobless’

MANGALORE: Speakers at the seminar on “Challenges before coastal people” called upon the people to collectively against the move by the government to set up Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ) and declare the region as Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR).

The seminar had been organised by Dakshina Kannada unit of Karnataka Komu Souharda Vedike. They said that if MSEZ came up, it would affect the social, cultural and economic fabric of the coastal people. The project was nothing but extending a red carpet welcome to multi national companies at the cost of livelihood of the poor and middle-class people. H. Pattabhirama Somayaji, a college teacher, said that it was time to think and plan strategies to face the challenges. Shivasunder, a human rights activist, said that the SEZs in other parts of the country had not succeeded in lifting the economic status of poor. K.L. Ashok, general secretary, Komu Souharda Vedike, said that SEZs would render many people homeless and jobless. He said real estate and mines mafia were controlling the State Government.

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