The Centre would not force Tamil Nadu to implement coal-bed methane project, Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan said on Saturday.
“Government of India is not going to force or apply force. After consulting and take local community and the State Government into confidence then only we can proceed (on the project),” he said.
He was talking to reporters on the sidelines of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Chennai Petroleum Corporation, a subsidiary of Indian Oil Corporation, at Manali near here. Pradhan's comments have comes in the backdrop of Tamil Nadu Government halting the project in 2013, by Great Eastern Energy Corporation ltd in delta districts following the apprehensions of farmers who feared that the project would affect agricultural operations.
“On the better interest of youth of Tamil Nadu, for their employment, for the industry and for the business, we must monetize the gas”, he said.
Earlier at the Golden Jubilee celebrations, he sought the support of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for development of the gas pipeline network and for the coal-bed methane production in Tamil Nadu.
“Our Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed towards ‘Energy Justice’ & CPCl has a large role to play in it.”
After formally the commissioning of Mounded Bullets at the CPCl refinery, he said the Mounded Bullets facility would enhance the safety and storage capacity of lPG at the refinery. He said CPCl was meeting the energy demands of Tamil Nadu and nearby states with ‘great reliability’. Commemorating the Golden Jubilee celebrations, he unveiled a memorabilia, symbolising the 50 years of CPCl refinery on the occasion.
Pradhan along with Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping, Pon Radhakrishnan reviewed the performance of CPCl.
