Sethusamudram project: Karunanidhi’s appeal to detractors
Special Correspondent
CHENNAI: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Sunday said those who questioned him on his involvement in the Sethusamudram ship channel issue should at least work for the expeditious implementation of the project instead of challenging him.
In a statement, the Chief Minister recalled that five years ago, he addressed two letters to the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the issue. While one letter was written in May 2002, another was in October 2002.
[The Chief Minister’s statement was issued to the media with copies of his two letters in English. It also provided Tamil translation of his first letter.]
The first letter, tracing the history of the project, mentioned how the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam had been highlighting the importance of the project for 50 years. Referring to the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute being asked to establish techno-economic viability, Mr Karunanidhi [whose party was then in the Opposition in the State but part of the National Democratic Alliance Government at the Centre] had urged Mr. Vajpayee to expedite the study. In the second letter, the Chief Minister referred to reports that the then NDA Government had decided to implement the project from next year.
Thanking Mr Vajpayee, he underscored the need for pursuing the project on a fast track basis.
Expressing the hope that his statement would make the factual position clear, Mr. Karunanidhi said he intended to write further on the Sethusamudram project and issues that had arisen.
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