Government gets two weeks to explain hydrocarbon line
CHENNAI: The National Green Tribunal has granted two more weeks to the State government to clarify its stand on the controversial hydrocarbon project. When the petition came up for hearing on Wednesday, government counsel requested the tribunal to grant four weeks to file reply.
However, judicial member MS Nambiar granted two weeks. Besides, the State government, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) also has not submitted its reply so far in the case.
The stiff resistance against the hydrocarbon project at Neduvasal was intensified after Karnataka-based Gem Laboratories Pvt Ltd submitted before NGT bench last month that the company has permission from the Centre to explore all kinds of hydrocarbons such as shale gas, tight track and coalbed methane (CBM) in the village.
“As per the policy of the Union Government, uniform licence were issued to contractors to explore conventional and unconventional oil and gas resources, including CBM, shale gas/oil, tight gas, gas hydrates under a single licence and as per this the government issued e-bids under discovered small fields bid round-16 and as per this the government has awarded 31 contracts.
It is the Government of India which has identified Neduvasal village as a potential place for carrying out hydrocarbon activities,” G M Lingaraju, Managing Director, Gem Laboratories, has said in the reply, which was in contradiction to what ONGC officials have been claiming all this while. The tribunal has adjourned the case to November 8.
MDMK general secretary Vaiko, who appeared for the petitioner, told the media persons that the BJP-led Central government was hell bent on executing the project, looking at the responses so far. “So, I call upon all students, agriculturalists and right thinking people to intensify the agitation against the project.”