Titanium project: AIADMK forms committee to study people's views

Chennai, Aug 11 (UNI) The Opposition AIADMK today constituted a nine-member committee to elicit the views of the people of the Southern Tuticorin and Tirunelveli districts, where the proposed Titanium dioxide project of Tata Steels was to come up.

Opposing the implementation of the controversial project, AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa, in a statement here, said the Committee would interact with the farmers and public in the two districts and submit a report to her, which would be publicised.

The Committee comprised party leaders O Panneerselvam, K A Sengottaiyan, P H Pandian, N Thalavai Sundaram, Nainar Nagendran, C Karuppasamy, Anitha R Radhakrishnan, P Sendur Pandian and Popular V Muthiah.

Accusing the DMK Government of cheating the people of the State through its ''wrong approaches and false promises'', Ms Jayalalithaa alleged that the Government was bent upon usurping the farm lands of peasants, held by them hereditarily.

She dismissed as a ''drama aimed at hoodwinking the people'', Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's statement that the Rs 2,500 crore mega project would be implemented only after ascertaining the views of the local people.

It may be recalled here that many parties, including the Congress and the PMK, had constituted such committees to know first hand the views of the local people vis-a-vis the project.

UNI