PMK raps Centre over permission for extraction

Ramadoss, in a statement, said, “Extraction of hydrocarbon will be a great blow to farming and the scheme will turn Tamil Nadu and delta districts into a desert. Centre is forcefully pushing the hydrocarbon extraction scheme upon the state.”

Recently, the Central government gave permission for ONGC, Vedanta and a foreign company to extract hydrocarbon not just from delta districts but also from Villupuram district and Puducherry. The incident caused widespread furore across the state.

Opposition parties condemned the Centre for issuing permission to extract hydrocarbon and said that at the time when the entire state is demanding to announce delta districts as protected agriculture zone, the Centre is trying to make delta districts a desert.

Ramadoss said that not just delta districts, but the hydrocarbon extraction scheme should not be permitted in any other part of the state. “No company should be allowed to extract hydrocarbon from any part of the state and state government should not permit extraction across the state,” he said.

Ramadoss also accused the Centre of trying to implement the scheme for monetary benefits. “Centre has given permission to extract hydrocarbon in Villupuram and Puducherry only for economical gains and the environmental concerns were thrown away,” he added.