DMK president M. Karunanidhi on Thursday gave credit to TNCC president EVKS Elangovan for the government cancelling plots allotted to Coca-Cola in Perundurai SIPCOT.
In a statement, he said it was Mr. Elangovan while disputing the claims of State Environment Minister Thoppu Venkatachalam that the company had not asked for environmental clearance, clarified that the Tamil Nadu government had indeed allotted about 72 acres and entered into an agreement for 99 years at a low rate.
As the Cola major had been banned in seven States, the TNCC president had showed the documents at a press conference and told that groundwater in 80 surrounding villages would be affected.
It was only after this that the Industries Minister Thangamani admitted in the Assembly that land was allotted to Coca-Cola and that the company had not asked for environmental clearance, Mr. Karunanidhi recalled.
Alleging that the AIADMK government had allotted land in 2013 itself, Mr. Karunanidhi said the government could only answer the company blaming it for not its inability to construct the bottling plant.
Interest on farm loans
The DMK president also criticised the Centre for hiking the interest on farm loans given by the banks from nine to 11 per cent and scrapping the Central subsidy on such interest altogether. The hike was sent in the form of circulars to the banks and not openly announced. Due to this, the farmers would have to pay seven per cent interest instead of the present four per cent, he said.
