BENGALURU, 4 MAR

 Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday instructed the Koppal district collector to stop work at the disputed Baldota factory.

In a post on 'X', the Chief Minister’s Office stated that the decision was made after a delegation of activists opposing the factory met with Siddaramaiah on Tuesday and urged him not to allow the project to proceed.

At the recent Global Investors Meet in Bengaluru, the Baldota Group announced plans to invest Rs 54,000 crore to establish an integrated steel plant under its subsidiary, Baldota Steel and Power Ltd (BSPL).

However, the Koppal Parisara Hitarakshana Vedike, a collective of civil society organisations advocating for environmental protection, raised concerns.

They pointed out that Koppal already houses over 200 small and medium industries, and an additional plant with an annual capacity of 10.5 million tonne of steel could lead to further environmental degradation.

On 24 February, the collective called for a bandh to protest against the steel plant.

The call received a strong response, with many shopkeepers and traders voluntarily shutting their businesses for the day in support of the cause.

With public transport, including buses, remaining off the roads and educational institutions closed, Koppal city appeared deserted that day. Thousands of activists from various organisations, along with concerned individuals, took out a protest march from the Gavi Mutt, a religious centre, to the Taluk Stadium, raising slogans against the proposed steel plant.

Abhinava Gavisiddeshwar Swamy, head of Gavi Mutt, which has millions of devotees, flagged off the protest march.