Chennai: Strongly opposing the Centre's act of signing an MoU with a private firm for the Neduvasal hydrocarbon project, political leaders including DMK working president M.K. Stalin demanded that Neduvasal be removed from the list of project sites on MoU list.
Expressing shock at the MoU, Stalin said all the parties in the state and the BJP leaders in the state have opposed the Neduvasal hydrocarbon project, but the Centre is imposing the project despite the opposition.
The statement of the project director said a letter has been written to the state government and that the scheme will be implemented after dispelling the fears of the people, Stalin noted.
The promise given to people by Union minister Pon.Radhakrishnan has been blatantly violated, he said and asked the state government to reveal the contents of the letter written by the project director.
Stalin said writing a letter means that the Centre had sought the state government's co-operation to implement the project, but the content is not known since the state government has not released the details.
Citing the promise of Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanisami that the state government would not allow the project, he asked the Chief Minister to fulfill his promise. He also urged the Centre to abandon the project.
PMK founder S.Ramadoss said the Centre had signed an MoU with Gem Laboratories belonging to Karnataka even while people of Neduvasal are opposing it. The statement of Union petroleum minister that it would be implemented only with people's consent is deceptive, he said. He also accused the Centre of meting out step motherly treatment to fishermen and farmers of Tamil Nadu.
CPI state secretary R. Mutharasan said Union Minister Pon. Radhakrishnan had promised the people of Neduvasal that it would not be implemented, but the Centre is trying to deceive people.
