CHENNAI: Minister for Agriculture MRK Panneerselvam and PMK Assembly floor leader GK Mani got into a verbal duel following the recent statement of Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi that the proposed expansion plan of NLC mines in the Cuddalore district would not be withdrawn.
In a press statement, Panneerselvam asked why PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss was silent after the union minister made the announcement and why didn’t the PMK leader boycott the house. “Anbumani had recently said that the PMK was part of the NDA only at the Centre and not in Tamil Nadu. By remaining silent over NLC expansion, the PMK is refusing to save Tamil Nadu farmers. Is Anbumani silent owing to a pending court case related to granting permission to a medical college (when he was Union minister) ?”
In a rebuttal, Mani issued a press statement. “The PMK has staged several protests to pressure the government to raise compensation for farmers who gave their land to NLC, significantly increasing payouts from meagre amounts to `25 lakh. It is in fact the DMK-led state government which is backing Joshi’s declaration that the NLC expansion would proceed unhindered.
If the government cancels licence for the NLC, which has been extended till 2036, the corporation cannot carry out its operation,” Mani said. Recalling Chief Minister MK Stalin’s commitment against new NLC mines, Mani highlighted Joshi’s assertion that the state government didn’t oppose establishing a third mine in Neyveli. “Despite having the power to terminate the licence for NLC to stop its operation, the state government is blaming the PMK,” Mani said.