CHENNAI: Referring to the protests against ONGC scheme in Kathiramangalam and hydrocarbon project in Neduvasal, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Friday assured that his government would not allow any scheme that affected the farmers. Reacting to the allegations of Congress floor leader K.R. Ramasamy that the government had failed to bring to an end the farmers protests, during the discussion on demands for grants to police department, the Chief Minister said the projects in Kathiramangalam and Neduvasal had been announced long ago. “The schemes are already in progress. But, a few political parties are instigating innocent people”, he said.
The borewells in Kathiramangalam were dug 15 years ago. “When there are repairs in the pipelines, people are stopping work to change the pipelines”, the Chief Minister alleged. Both Neduvasal and Kathiramangalam projects were not started when the AIADMK was in power and only anti-social elements were inciting innocent people to hold protests to create a bad name for the state government, he said.
Asserting that the state government had not given permission to the Neduvasal hydrocarbon scheme, he said. As far as the ONGC schemes are concerned, government order granting permission for oil exploration was given on August 28, 1989, he said and added that the exploration works are going on. Leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin, who intervened in the debate, welcomed the Chief Minister’s assurance that his government would not allow any scheme that affected the farmers and pointed out that the Centre is bent on implementing the schemes. He also appealed to the Chief Minister to exert pressure on the Union government to find a solution to the protests.
The Chief Minister said he had already insisted Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to allow any scheme that would affect farmers. He said the crime rate in the state is lesser compared to other states since the government is handling the law and order situation well. Asserting that he had the statistical details to prove that the crimes had come down, he said in most of the crimes, those involved in the crime had been identified and punished.
