Minister cries foul over AIADMK's 'interests' in Tata project

Chennai, Aug 3 (UNI) DMK senior leader and Electricity Minister Arcot N Veerasamy today accused the previous AIADMK government of trying to protect the interests of Jaya TV shareholder S Vaikundarajan, while evincing interest in implementing the Titanium dioxide project.

The former AIADMK Industries Minister Nainar Nagendran has claimed that Mr Vaikundarajan was allowed to take part in the official meeting held by the government for a discussion with Tata Steels and those engaged in mining in the areas, as suggested by the Tirunelveli district Collector.

Mr Veerasamy in reaction to the statement said here, if that was the case, why Mr Vaikundarajan was alone invited to take part in the meeting held on November 22, 2005.

Stating that Mr Nagendran had disclosed only three of the five decisions taken in the meeting, Mr Veerasamy said the important decision taken in the meeting was to earmark 1,000 acre of land for V V Mineral, headed by Mr Vaikundarajan, for mining.

The meeting also decided to finalise land acquisition for Tata Steel and give administrative sanction for the Titanium dioxide project after finalising the lands to be allotted to Mr Vaikundarajan and Tata Steel, Mr Veerasamy said.

The two decisions taken by the previous Jayalalithaa regime would clearly show that the then government went all out to help Mr Vaikundarajan and evinced interest in implementing the Titanium dioxide project, the DMK leader said.

Mr Veerasamy also disputed Mr Nagendran's claim that Tata Steel had refused to accept the decisions taken in the Novemember 2005 meeting. There were no notes to prove this, he added.

UNI