The Hindu : Front Page : Sethu project being implemented for political mileage: Jayalalithaa

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 07, 2005

Front Page

Front Page

Sethu project being implemented for political mileage: Jayalalithaa

D. Radhakrishnan

"Pykara hydro electric project commissioned despite many odds"

UDHAGAMANDALAM: The proponents of the Sethusamuthram project were throwing environmental concerns to the winds, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said at Singara near here on Tuesday after commissioning the Rs. 383-crore Pykara Ultimate Stage Hydro Electric Project (PUSHEP).

Maintaining that they were the same persons who acted as championing the cause of the environment and stalled PUSHEP, she said their stand on the Sethu project exposed their true colours. Unmindful of the fallout of the project on environment, marine life, underwater ecology and the livelihood of the fisher folk, they were implementing it to gain political mileage. The "guardians of the environment mask" they were sporting had been torn off and their political opportunism revealed to the people.

Pointing out that PUSHEP was implemented overcoming many odds, she said though the Planning Commission approved the project and work commenced in 1994, the progress became tardy after 1996. Since reserve forests extending over 49.78 hectares had to be transferred to lay an 85-km transmission line between Singara and Arasur in Coimbatore, Central clearance was sought in 1998. Subsequently, in accordance with the Central recommendations, the Government in 2003 sent a proposal to the Union Ministry of Forests and Environment to transfer 29.94 hectares of reserve forests. In order to delay the project, the Ministry posed several queries. It asked for records dating back to 1920, she said.

Delaying tactics

Ms. Jayalalithaa alleged that delaying tactics were adopted only to deny her the credit for having implemented a major project, which would benefit the economy of the State. In 1998, when the DMK Government sent its proposal for transfer of RF land, there was a proposal to fell 19,200 trees. However, under the revised proposal sent by the AIADMK in 2003 the number of trees to be felled was only 4,177. Since the Union Ministry was reluctant to consider the proposal, judicial intervention was sought.

Ms. Jayalalithaa said energy production was a thrust area. During her earlier tenure and the present one, she helped add 33 percent to the State's power production. Tamil Nadu was the only State where there were no power cuts.

Ms. Jayalalitha who visited the main part of the project, described it as a pride of Tamil Nadu. TNEB officials and staff who successfully implemented the project would be paid incentives equivalent to a month's basic pay and dearness allowance.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page