Jaya-led AIADMK has demanded that the Puducherry government bring out a white paper on the transfer of a coalfield allotted to Puducherry Industrial Promotion Development and Investment Corporation Ltd (PIPDIC) to J.R. Power Gen Pvt Ltd owned by Union minister of state for information and broadcasting S. Jagathrakshakan’s family.
Opposition AIADMK’s state secretary A. Anbazhagan told mediapersons here on Saturday that the Centre had allotted the coalfield to PIPDIC in Naini block of Odisha in 2007 for mining 250 MT of coal for a period of 40 years and generating 1,500 MW power from the project.
He said the Puducherry government, without any justification, handed over coal mining to J.R. Power Gen through an agreement.
It was illegally transferred to the private firm and no global tenders were floated. The agreement signed was also improper because the royalty of Rs 25 per tonne of coal was also unacceptable.
The power generated should be supplied to Puducherry at production cost. But neither the coal was mined nor power generated.
Mr Anbazhagan also demanded that the Puducherry government come out with a white paper on the transfer of the coalmine to the private firm.
The Puducherry-owned PSU has been taken for a ride by the Union minister, having close links with DMK president M. Karunanidhi. The Union government should also order a CBI probe into the allotment of the coalfield, he said.