The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : "NLC should be directed to compensate landowners"

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 03, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

"NLC should be directed to compensate landowners"

Special Correspondent

PMK parliamentary party leader writes to Manmohan Singh

CHENNAI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should direct the Neyveli Lignite Corporation to address the grievances of those who had given their land to the NLC, according to Pattali Makkal Katchi deputy leader in Parliament E. Ponnuswamy.

(Dr. Singh will inaugurate the golden jubilee celebrations of the NLC and lay the foundation for expansion of Mines-II [10.5 MT to 15.0 MT per annum] and the thermal power station-II [500 MW] at a function scheduled for Saturday at Neyveli). In a letter to the Prime Minister on Thursday, Mr. Ponnuswamy, who is a former Union Minister of State, said 7,500 persons who had given their land and were promised jobs, had not been provided employment. They should be given proper compensation.

Besides, the services of thousands of workers with more than 10-15 years of experience should be regularised and casual labourers paid wages as per the government norms, Mr Ponnuswamy said. Workers and officials should be given gifts for their unflinching support to the organisation. When the former Union Ministers, Ram Vilas Paswan and Uma Bharti, visited Neyveli in the past, monetary rewards were paid to the employees.

The PMK leader pointed out that the NLC was one of the few public sector undertakings that earned a profit of over Rs.1, 000 crore a year without any budgetary support.

Vaiko's plea

Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Vaiko has requested Dr. Singh to "reward" the employees of the NLC on the occasion of its golden jubilee.

In a letter, a copy of which was released to the press, he said the NLC was taking care of the families living in villages around Neyveli and supported them during the tsunami and the floods.

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