Vaiko welcomes Gem’s Neduvasal exit

Commenting on the decision conveyed by one of the officials of the company in an interview to a private news channel, he said it was a victory for the people’s struggle against the project.

He was responding to the company official’s declaration that it had written to the Centre to abandon the Neduvasal project and seeking an alternative site.

He also warned that people of Tamil Nadu would not allow any hydrocarbon or methane gas scheme in Tamil Nadu. Recalling that he had filed a petition against the project in the National Green Tribunal, he said the same company had filed a counter to his petition saying that no one could stop it from extracting hydrocarbon from Neduvasal since it had obtained permission from the central government. The company had to change its stand due to people’s protests, he reasoned.

He also greeted the victory of the opposition alliance in Malaysia headed by Mahathir Mohamad and that of his friend and Penang state deputy Chief Minister Ramaswamy, known to be an LTTE supporter.

Noting that Ramaswamy’s party is a constituent of the winning alliance, Vaiko expressed happiness over the election result.

Meanwhile, commenting on actor-politican Sarathkumar tweeted: “A true victory to the ppl of Neduvasal, activists, leaders, TN govt & the solidarity of Tamils who stood behind the cause. GEM seeks change of place for their contract instead of Neduvasal. Democracy wins!”

Actor and Tamil Nadu Film Producers Council president Vishal tweeted, “Reliable source tell me that Gem Labs has decided 2 drop the Hydro Carbon Project @ Neduvasal.

Congrats everyone who has put every effort possible 2 stop this. I am extremely delighted by this news as I filed a Case 2 Ban Hydro Carbon Project @ the NGT in March 2017.

The ONGC had drilled as many as 13 wells in Pudukkottai district, but 10 were closed due to non-availability of oil resource.