Centre relaxing norms to turn Delta into desert, says Stalin

In a statement, the DMK president said, the Union government has already granted permission to drill as many as 341 wells to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore in the Cauvery Delta region. “Instead of declaring the Cauvery Delta region as a protected agricultural zone, the Centre plans to turn it into a chemical zone and this is a heavy blow to the people of Tamil Nadu, especially the farmers,” Stalin said in the statement.

He said that the Centre has been initiating steps to turn the Delta region into a desert and affect the livelihood of the farmers. This would affect the future society, he warned.

Meanwhile, he claimed that the AIADMK government had ensured the people that they would never allow the hydrocarbon projects in the state, but they never take any policy decision on that. The state government continue to support any anti-people activities initiated by the BJP led Centre, he charged. “Both the AIADMK and BJP are working for private companies and corporate owners and not for the people,” he said.