Reiterating that the AIADMK government had not granted permission to any organisation for hydrocarbon exploration and will not do that in future either, Law Minister C.Ve. Shanmugam on Wednesday said it was the DMK government that signed an MoU with the General Electrical Eastern Energy Corporation Ltd. in 2011 to conduct a survey for the project.
“When the AIADMK came to power, our leader Amma (Jayalalithaa) appointed a high-level committee to make recommendations in the wake of protests against the hydrocarbon project and cancelled the MoU based on the report of the committee,” he said while replying to a special calling attention motion moved by the DMK in the Assembly.
“We have not given permission even to study the feasibility of the project. Then what is the need for protests and human chain?” he asked while responding to the DMK’s T.R.B. Raaja, who said the hydraulic fracturing method was considered dangerous all over the world, and that it would destroy the cultivable land in the Cauvery delta region.
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Quoting Clause 5 of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules, 1959, Mr. Shanmugam said “licence or lease in respect of any land or mineral underlying the ocean shall be granted by the Central Government” while “any land vested in a State Government, shall be granted by the State Government with the previous approval of the Central Government”.
When Opposition leader M.K. Stalin pointed out that permission had already been granted by the Centre, he said, “Even if the Centre granted permission, it should be cleared by the Coastal Zonal Management Authority under the control of the State government. We will oppose it through the authority.”
Quoting from the Rules, he said, “...where the licence or the lease has been or is to be granted by the State Government, the Central Government shall consult the State Government before agreeing to such additional terms, covenants and conditions.”
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He said his intention was not to politicise the issue because it directly involved the livelihood of farmers in the State. “Even the Madras High Court judge questioned the protests since the State government has not given any permission. The AIADMK shares the view of the DMK on the hydrocarbon project. We are firm that it should not be allowed,” Mr. Shanmugam said.
When Mr. Stalin reiterated that the DMK government only signed an MoU with the General Electrical Eastern Energy Corporation Ltd., Mr. Shanmugam said the press released issued by the DMK government waxed eloquent on the survey, saying it will extend all permissions for implementation of the project as it will generate employment for 1,500 people.