The State government has sent a notice to Coca-Cola, asking why it should not cancel the allotment of about 71 acres of land to it in State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) Estate in Perundurai.
According to highly placed sources here, the SIPCOT sent the notice last week to the soft drink company, asking why the allotment should not be cancelled as it had not taken efforts to construct the unit or implement it within the stipulated time, sources said.
The issue flared up in 2014, when residents of several panchayats surrounding the industrial estate started questioning the rationale behind SIPCOT agreeing to supply 20 lakh litres every day to the bottling plant. The issue was raised in the Budget session of the Assembly by almost all the Opposition parties. As part of their sustained campaign against the MNC, farmers’ organisations have planned a protest by burning copies of the agreement document and hold an all-party meeting on April 30.
It is in this backdrop that the SIPCOT has sent the notice. While sources said SIPCOT has given 15 days time for the company to reply, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Private Limited officials said they had not received any notice.
