The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Vasan's charge against Jayalalithaa

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 29, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Vasan's charge against Jayalalithaa

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president G.K. Vasan has charged Chief Minister Jayalalithaa with making consistent attempts "to sabotage" the Sethusamudram project.

In a statement here on Tuesday, Mr. Vasan said it was "unfortunate' that the Chief Minister was "creating hurdles" for the scheme, which would improve the livelihood of people in the southern districts. The Chief Minister's assertion that the project would affect the interests of fishermen and cause damage to the environment had been denied by NEERI, which had conducted a detailed survey on various aspects of the project.

Again, the expert committee appointed by the State Government under the chairmanship of M. Ravindran had conducted its study without consulting the Tuticorin Port Trust, the implementing authority of the project.

Though there was no need for a "no objection certificate" from the State Government, the Tuticorin Port Trust approached the Madras High Court for sending the proceedings of public hearings by the State Government to the Union Ministry of Environment. Based on the report the Ministry had given clearance for the project.

Despite these "hurdles", the project was becoming a reality with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh set to attend the inaugural function in Madurai, the statement added.

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