Expressing shock over the contract signed between the Centre and GEM Laboratories for extracting hydrocarbon at Neduvasal in the State, DMK working president M.K. Stalin on Tuesday urged the State government to release the Centre’s letter in connection with the project.
In a statement here, he said Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami should keep the promise made in the Assembly that the AIADMK government would not permit the hydrocarbon exploration project in Neduvasal.
“The Centre should not remain adamant. It should take into consideration the concern and apprehension of the local people that the project would destroy agriculture ,” he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Mr. Stalin said it was amply clear that the Centre had sought the cooperation of the State government through the letter in implementing the project.
“But the AIADMK government kept it as a secret and even when the issue was taken up for discussion in the Assembly, the Chief Minister did not reveal the contents of the letter,” he alleged
Recalling his letter to Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan urging him to drop the project, Mr. Stalin said even BJP leaders from the State had given an assurance that the Centre would not impose the project on the people of Neduvasal.
ADVERTISEMENT
“The promise made by Union Minister Pon. Radhakrishnan and other BJP leader has been ruthlessly violated,” the DMK leader said.
Karaikal project
Meanwhile, Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy on Tuesday said that the farm field allotted for hydro carbon extraction was 10 km from Karaikal.
Mr .Narayanasamy said he met Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi and conveyed the apprehensions of the people of Karaikal region about the proposed project. Mr. Pradhan assured him that the apprehensions were ill-founded, as the hydro carbon field named ‘Karaikal’ was situated 10 km away in a northeast direction, a release from the Chief Minister’s office said here.
He clarified that the project was being implemented after obtaining the people’s consent. The Chief Minister also requested the Petroleum Ministry to immediately release ₹60 crore set aside by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited under its Corporate Social Responsibility plan towards upgrading hospital and school projects in Karaikal.