Residents of Tamil Nadu's Neduvasal call off stir against proposed hydrocarbon project
Residents of Neduvasal have called off their 22-day protest against the proposed hydrocarbon extraction project in the village.
Published: 10th March 2017 06:38 AM | Last Updated: 10th March 2017 08:57 AM | A+A A-
Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar appealing to the protesters to withdraw their agitation against the hydrocarbon exploration project in Neduvasal in Pudukkottai district on Thursday | Express
PUDUKKOTTAI : Residents of Neduvasal have called off their 22-day protest against the proposed hydrocarbon extraction project in the village.
The protesters announced their decision, following an assurance given by Minister of Public Health Dr C Vijaya Baskar during a meeting with the villagers on Thursday evening.
The villagers submitted a petition to the Minister wherein they demanded that a special resolution be passed in the Legislative Assembly refusing permission to the project.
Further, the villagers appealed to the State government to initiate steps to reclaim and rejuvenate lands sold/given on lease by farmers to ONGC and remove equipment.
Accepting their demands, Vijaya Baskar recalled Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami’s repeated assurances that any project which affected farmers would not be allowed in the State and said, “I too give the same assuradnce to Neduvasal people.
The government will not grant permission or licence for any mining project in the State. The Pudukkottai district administration will not offer mining commercial mining licence to any firm.”
Following this, Neduvasal residents declared that they were calling off their protest. Meanwhile, residents of Vadakadu, where ONGC had sunk an exploratory well but abandoned the project, announced they would continue the protest will till a resolution was passed in the Assembly.
