The ruling Congress today appealed to people not to let themselves be misled by persons opposing beverage giant Coca Cola's proposed plant at Charba village near the city.
"Some misguided people are opposing the plant. People should not let themselves be misled by them as the plant would provide employment to about 1000 youth," Pradesh Congress spokesman Dhirendra Pratap told reporters here.
Noting that stopping migration of people from development starved areas of the state in search of work was the vision of those who fought for statehood to Uttarakhand, the PCC spokesman said, adding, opposing the plant ran counter to that vision.
If people oppose setting up of the plant they would indirectly deprive about 1000 youth of a great employment opportunity which alone can put an end to the exodus of people to urban areas in search of jobs, the Congress leader said.
An MoU between multi-national beverage giant Coca Cola and the Uttarakhand government last month to set up a Rs 600 crore bottling plant has sparked protests by environmentalists who claim the project would adversely impact the hill state's fragile ecology.
Environmentalists Avdhash Kaushal, Anil Prakash Joshi, Vandana Siva and Chandiprasad Bhatt have vehemently opposed the proposed plant.
Locals have also begun protests against the proposed project and asked the authorities to desist from cutting down tress for the plant.
Chief minister Vijay Bahuguna has constituted a committee to examine the possible impact of the plant on the ecology saying it will be given final clearance only after taking proper safeguards.
