Protests today intensified against the proposed hydrocarbon project of the Union Government at Neduvasal in the district with students in some areas boycotting classes.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people converged at Neduvasal to discuss the project and ways to oppose it. Locals expressed their apprehensions about the project.
Students of Government Arts College at Karambakudi in Pudukottai district and a college at Mannargudi in Tiruvarur district boycotted their classes, protesting against the project.
Meanwhile, traders of Pudukottai decided to down their shutters on March one to express solidarity with the protesters.
Some farmers associations alleged that the proposed project was to divert the people's attention from the cauvery water dispute. They urged the Centre to take steps to constitute cauvery water management board and not to delay it further.
(REOPENS MES6)
Meanwhile, Union Minister and senior BJP leader from Tamil Nadu Pon Radhakrishnan today said he took up the matter with Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan who assured him that the concerns of the people would be studied.
Pradhan explained to him about the advantages of the hydrocarbon project including job creation and allayed concerns that it would affect farming and ground water level, Radhakrishnan said in a release in Chennai.
He also told Radhakrishnan that government would seek the views of the local residents and if they still did not want the project, it would not go ahead with it.
The Petroleum Minister said similar projects had been implemented in some other districts of Tamil Nadu and also in several other states where there was no opposition.
Stating that people should should keep in mind that no political party had the scientific clarity required to determine whether a project was good or bad, Radhakrishnan said a decision on the hydrocarbon project should be taken only after clearly understanding whether it would benefit the people of Neduvasal.
