Members of the Thamizhaga Cauvery Vivasayigal Sangam have postponed their agitation demanding initiation of criminal proceedings against the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation official following a meeting with Revenue Divisional Officer S. Punniyakoti on Wednesday night.
A group of farmers led by the association general secretary, P. R. Pandian went to the Kottur Police Station on Wednesday morning and submitted a petition seeking the arrest of the Asset Manager, ONGC – Cauvery Asset, Karaikal, alleging that he had embarked upon drilling of hydrocarbon well at Periyakudi and Sozhanganallur illegally.
The police officials who received the petition informed the farmers that necessary action would be initiated after ‘interrogation’. But, Mr. Pandian and others insisted that a case be registered immediately and the ongoing work at Periyakudi and Sozhanganallur stopped. They also demanded the immediate arrest of the Cauvery Asset Manager.
They had staged a ‘sit in dharna’ at the Kottur police station till 4 p.m. when the senior police officials asked the protesting farmers to accompany them to the RDO office at Mannargudi for a tripartite talks.
Subsequently, the scene of protest shifted to Mannargudi where the farmers waited for the ONGC officials. As the ONGC officials did not turn up at the RDO office even after 8 p.m., the farmers went on a ‘sit in protest’ at the RDO office.
Later around midnight, the protesting farmers agreed to defer their agitation as the officials led by the RDO said that a meeting of officials from the Pollution Control Board, ONGC and the farmers would be convened in a day or two to discuss the issue.
