T. Narasipur: Protest against the proposed stadium at the land belonging to Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) Filature Factory in the town has intensified with former T. Narasipur Town Municipal Council member and actor Arjun Ramesh joining the stir with a demand to shift the stadium to a different location from KSIC premises.

Arjun Ramesh, who met the KSIC employees yesterday, alleged that both Chief Minister and District Minister were meting out injustice to hundreds of families just to please their party workers.

“The behaviour of the officials during the marking of boundaries is very evident that they are going ahead with the project, despite stiff opposition, only to placate a few people. Officials, while marking the boundaries of the five-acre land earmarked for the stadium, must have executed the work on their own, but marking the boundaries and laying the boundary stones in presence of a political party workers does not augur well with the  society,” he added.

He further said that the concerned officials must have enlightened the State Government on the adverse effects of constructing the stadium on the proposed land. 

“Instead, the officials working as per the whims and fancies of politicians do not serve any purpose,” he alleged, questioning the need for stadium on a KSIC land. Alleging that the tender for stadium was being floated in haste, Arjun said that the construction of stadium would harm families of the KSIC employees.

Arjun also requested CM Siddaramaiah to relook into the stadium proposal and to provide assistance for the development of KSIC as Mysore Silk is a worldwide famous brand.

“Chief Minister and District Minister must not push hundreds of families to disarray just to please their party. The proposal to construct the stadium must be dropped and a different land or site  must be identified for the safety of KSIC employees,” he added.

“I was among the first to demand for a stadium in T. Narasipur during my tenure as a Councillor, but not at the cost of factory workers. The State Government’s decision to build stadium at the factory premises is erroneous, as it will push about 200-250 employees to  hardship,” added Arjun Ramesh.

There are about 500 varieties of trees and different species of birds in the area. With trees present in abundance, it also acts as a source of oxygen for the employees. This apart, presence of 33 percent of trees is necessary for functioning of factory.

— Arjun Ramesh, former member, Town Municipal Council