Chennai, June 14(BPNS)

AIADMK party Chief coordinator O Panneerselvam has called upon the Tamil Nadu Chief minister MK Stalin to take steps for the immediate withdrawal of invitation of bids by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for development of Oil and gas fields in Vadatheru of Pudukottai district in Cauveri basin.

The AIADMK leader urged the Chief Minister to take up the matter with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their proposed meeting in New Delhi on June 17.  The former Deputy Chief minister wanted the Chief Minister to explain to the Prime Minister on the salient features of the state’s law on the protected agricultural zone for the Cauvery delta.

Panneerselvam has also termed the Chief Minister’s request to the Central government for consulting the State government before initiating the process of auction in Tamil Nadu for hydrocarbon exploration and extraction. He said that this has created apprehension in the minds of the people ,especially farmers .

The AIADMK leader and former Deputy Chief Minister also said that the Union Minister for Environment and Forests, Prakash Javedkar had given assurance to the then state government in February 2020 that the final decision as to whether any new project is be commissioned vests with the state government.

He called upon the Chief minister to remind the Prime minister on the assurance provided by the Union Minister for Environment and Forests.