MK Stalin flays Centre over move to carry out EIA for hydrocarbon exploration
He also urged the Election Commission of India to take appropriate steps to halt it.
CHENNAI: Lashing out at the Centre over the terms of reference (ToR) issued to two companies to carry out environmental impact assessment for the proposed hydrocarbon exploration projects in Tamil Nadu, DMK chief M. K. Stalin has demanded the Centre to immediately stop the projects as it was announced when the Model Code of Conduct is in force.
He also urged the Election Commission of India to take appropriate steps to halt it.
In neighbouring Puducherry, Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy said his government would not allow the excavation of oil and gas in the Union Territory. He has come to know through unofficial sources that the Centre has proposed to launch projects to explore oil and gas from Puducherry and Tamil Nadu's Villupuram, he had said.
“Election Commission should come forward and ensure that the project is not implemented,” Stalin said in a statement here on Sunday rsponding to reports of central government issuing ToR to Vedanta Ltd and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) to carry out environmental impact assessment for hydrocarbon exploration projects in Villupuram in Tamil Nadu.
Referring to the signing of agreements in 2018 with Vedanta Ltd and ONGC to set up 274 and 67 wells respectively by the Centre, Stalin pointed out that farmers from the State had strongly opposed the move and also staged protests. He alleged that the projects were now being allowed in the State, despite representations by farmers.
He also took strong exception to the ruling AIADMK for not opposing the projects. “With Model Code of Conduct in effect, according Terms of Reference is against the election rules,” he claimed and called upon the State government to prevail upon the ECI to ensure the projects were not implemented.
Meanwhile, AIADMK's ally and PMK leader S. Ramadoss said the move was against the stand taken by the Centre, which had earlier said it would not implement such projects.
The projects would largely affect the Cauvery-delta regions, he said and sought both the governments to guarantee that such projects would not be implemented in any parts of the State at any cost.