Reiterating their resolve not to allow exploitation of natural resources in their villages, residents of Neduvasal and surrounding villages on Saturday urged the Centre to annul the contract signed with Gem Laboratories for exploration and extraction of hydrocarbons at Neduvasal Discovered Small Field in Pudukottai district.
After prolonged deliberations during a five-hour meeting to discuss the issue at Neduvasal on Saturday, representatives of over 60 surrounding villages chalked out a plan to hold a series of agitations against the hydrocarbon project.
The meeting decided that the protesters would hoist black flags on households and stage demonstrations in the villages against the project. They would picket the offices of Pudukottai and Thanjavur Collectors, besides resorting to roadblocks in the two districts.
The dates of the agitations would be finalised by the struggle committee at a consultative meeting on April 15. The villagers have been opposing the project on the grounds that it would affect their livelihood and environment.
The meeting comes in the wake of the signing of contracts for the fields awarded under the Discovered Small Field Bid Round 2016 on March 27 by the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The contract for the extraction of hydrocarbons in Neduvasal DSF has been awarded to Gem Laboratories Pvt. Ltd.
The villagers, who had suspended a 22-day long mass sit-in on March 9 after talks held by Union Minister Pon. Radhakrishnan and Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar, condemned the Centre’s decision to go ahead with the signing of the contract despite stiff opposition from them.
Larger committee
They decided to form a larger struggle committee, with representation for all surrounding villages, to steer the agitation against the project.
Representatives of the villages made it clear to the mediapersons that they remained firm on their demand that the Centre should shelve the project in Neduvasal. “People in the villagers are restive and are strongly opposed to the project. If the Centre goes ahead with the project, they will have to face the consequences,” said T. Pushparaj, former Congress MLA of Alangudi constituency, who participated in the meeting.
The meeting adopted a resolution extending support to Tamil Nadu farmers staging an agitation at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi pressing for crop loan waiver and other demands.
