Thanjavur: Lashing out at successive Central government’s indifferent attitude, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, J Jayalalithaa on Sunday said, “both UPA Government and the present BJP Government at the Centre have not taken steps to form the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and Water Regulation Committees as stipulated in the Final award of the Cauvery river water disputes tribunal.
“Now we have filed cases in Supreme court to direct Central government to form the board and water regulation committees,” she said addressing an election rally here this evening for the May 16 Assembly polls.
With respect to the proposed methane extraction project in the delta, the Chief Minister said that it was T.R. Baalu who mooted the project for extracting Methane in Cauvery delta, following extraction of Methane in Rajasthan when he was Union Minister of state for Petroleum.
After that, the Central Government gave approval and also asked Tamil Nadu Government to issue a license. A memorandum of understanding was signed by M.K. Stalin, who was then deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on January 4, 2011 with the ‘Great Eastern Energy corporation’ for extraction of Methane in the Cauvery delta, she said, adding, the Central government had also given environment clearance for the project.
But as the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has to give clearance for digging exploratory wells, Ms Jayalalithaa said that the AIADMK Government appointed an expert committee and based on its report had taken a decision not to permit the project. Great Eastern Energy corporation has gone out of Tamil Nadu now.
“My Government will not allow any project that will harm the interest of farmers, environment and ecology of the Cauvery delta” the Chief Minister declared.
She also charged that ‘Kings India Chemicals Ltd’ of T.R. Baalu, former Union minister from the DMK, had got permission from the State government to start a liquor factory at Vadaseri village near Mannargudi.
Following protest from people it was put on hold, she said, adding, farmers who attended the public hearing on the project were beaten by the police on April 9, 2010. “Vadaseri people are observing that -April 9- as black day,” Chief Minister added.
Ms Jayalalithaa said that her government brought the second green revolution in the state. Listing the benefits given by her rule to farmers like 75 per cent subsidy for big farmers for micro irrigation, cent percent subsidy for small and marginal farmers for micro irrigation, she said If AIADMK is voted back to power, check dams will be built in Kollidam below Lower Anicut and a reservoir with 1.2 tmc capacity at Kudithangi village.
