EPS asks DMK MPs, allies to raise issue of auction of lignite blocks in Parliament

Chennai, April 5 (IANS) AIADMK general secretary and Leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu assembly Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) on Wednesday called upon party MPs and its allies to raise in Parliament the central government's move to auction three lignite blocks of the state.

The AIADMK leader, while speaking to media persons outside the legislative assembly hall, said that as the subject of major minerals concerned the Central government, the DMK MPs should raise the matter in Parliament.

He said that DMK and its allies have 38 MPs from Tamil Nadu and hence the issue must be raised in Parliament. He said that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin writing a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi or discussing the issue in legislative assembly was not enough to get the desired results.

The leader of the opposition pointed out that when the AIADMK and its allies had 37 seats, the party had stalled Parliament for 22 days over Cauvery issue.

He also pointed out that it was during the DMK regime from 2006-2011 that an MoU was signed for a project to develop coal bed methane in the Cauvery delta.

After the Central government started the process of auction of Coal and lignite blocks in delta districts of the state, there have been stringent protests with the Chief Minister himself writing a letter to the Prime Minister to stop coal mining from the state.

The Chief Minister also said in the assembly that the state government and the DMK would not "allow" the Central government to mine coal/lignite from the blocks as it would affect the agriculture in the area.

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