Hydrocarbon extraction: Opposition trains guns at Centre

The Opposition parties in the state on Tuesday condemned the central government for granting Vedanta hydrocarbon extraction rights in the Delta districts and demanded that the agreement must be scrapped.   

“The Cauvery delta has farm lands to the tune of 28 lakh acres, but due to dispute in the river, the farm lands had shrunk to 15 lakh acres. If hydrocarbon extraction is allowed in the Delta districts, it would turn into a desert, which is the intention of the central government,” MDMK leader Vaiko said in a press note. 

Further, he said that the agreement was signed in the presence of Union Petroleum Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, to extract hydrocarbon from Karaikal to Nagapattinam despite opposition from the Delta district farmers. 

“Farmers were demanding the state and central governments to announce Delta districts as ‘Agriculture Zone’ and are protesting for their demand. But, the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to destroy farming activities in the Delta districts and this shows their venomous attitude towards Tamil Nadu,” said Vaiko. 

He further said that if the central government does not scrap the agreement, the state and the central governments will witness a mega protest, much bigger when compared to those in Kadiramangalam and Neduvasal. 

Meanwhile, Seeman told reporters in Chennai that India has accepted market economy and all the schemes here are implemented for the welfare of the capitalists. “The agreement was signed to extract hydrocarbon at 55 places in the entire country and out of that, Vedanta had bagged rights for extraction in 41 places. This shows that the Centre is working for the welfare of a few capitalists in the country,” said Seeman. 

Quoting renowned economist John Perkins, Seeman said that people of this country are being forced to witness the natural wealth of the country plundered by the capitalists with the help of the governments. “The rulers of this country were chosen by the capitalists to cater their needs and it is a curse on the country,” he said. 

However, the state government had assured that hydrocarbon extraction will not affect people of the state. “Any project that is against the people of Tamil Nadu will not be allowed by the state government,” said O Panneerselvam, when asked about the hydrocarbon extraction in the Delta districts. 

Similarly, State Minister for Tamil Official Language and Tamil Culture, K Pandiarajan, said that the central government had granted rights only to investigate the presence of hydrocarbon in the Delta districts and the state government had not granted rights so far. 

“Only if the state government grants the permission, the exploration will commence, and the State will look into it at the time of exploration,” said Pandiarajan.

Chennai: BJP state president Tamilisai Soundararajan on Tuesday said that the hydrocarbon extraction rights granted to Vedanta Ltd were only offshore and the agricultural lands will not be affected.

“Groups with vested interests were spreading fears among the farmers that the hydrocarbon extraction will affect agricultural land. However, the truth is that the hydrocarbon is extracted from the sea and the project will not affect the farmers and their lands,” she told reporters. 

Further, she said that the pan-India project must be seen as a developmental project. “It is not carried out only in Tamil Nadu, but in 55 places across the country. When it is seen as a developmental project in other states, why is it being looked at an other way around in Tamil Nadu,” she questioned.