Will not allow GAIL's pipeline project in Tamil Nadu, says Jayalalithaa

Will not allow GAIL’s pipeline project in Tamil Nadu, says Jayalalithaa

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today said that she will not allow GAIL’s pipeline

project to come in the state and will keep putting pressure on the Centre not to implement in the

project in Tamil Nadu.

During her campaign, for the upcoming Assembly Elections, at Dharmapuri today, Jayalalithaa

said around 120,000 trees will be lost because of the project. Around 12 lakh trees need to be

planted, which is not possible.

“I will not allow the GAIL pipeline project and will keep putting pressure the Centre not to

implement the project in the state,” said Jayalalithaa.

Thousands of farmers in these seven districts are opposing the project stating that it will impact

their livelihood, as it will be difficult to do agriculture in the land once the pipeline is laid.

GAIL (India) Limited was instructed by the Government of Tamil Nadu in 2013, for laying

pipeline alongside the National Highways without affecting the agricultural lands of the farmers

of Tamil Nadu.

GAIL had challenged the above order of Government of Tamil Nadu in the Madras High Court

which quashed the state government’s order in November 2013. Government of Tamil Nadu

challenged the Order in the Supreme Court and the same was dismissed two months back. The

Supreme Court ordered the State Government of Tamil Nadu to fix market value of land as on

January 1, 2016 for the Right of Use (RoU) compensation purpose.

The ownership of the land remains with the land owner and RoU of land is acquired for laying of

gas pipeline and after laying the pipeline, the land is restored back in original condition to the

land owner.

Compensation is paid to the land owner as per Petroleum & Minerals Pipelines Act and the

Supreme Court have ordered that the RoU compensation against land will be 10 per cent of

market value as on January 2016 plus 30 per cent Solatium.

Farmers can continue agricultural activities after the restoration of land and only construction of

permanent structure, plantation of deep rooted trees are not allowed in the acquired RoU and as

such there will be no adverse effect to the interest of the farmers, said the Minister.

However, farmers fear that any kind of digging of land above the pipeline could be considered

by the company as an offense and even if the pipeline is damaged due to some other reason, the

land owners has to face serious legal action. They are also alleging that if the pipeline cuts across

a farmland splitting the land into two parts, the farmer cannot take water from one side to the

other side by establishing a pipeline, as any possible damage to the gas pipeline would result in

serious legal action.

The 925 kms Kochi-Kottanad-Bangalore-Mangalore pipeline passes through Kerala (505 kms),

Tamil Nadu (310 kms) and Karnataka (60 kms). The pipeline has already been laid for 200 kms

at a cost of Rs 685 crore.

The project was originally started in 2012, of the total project only 50 kms has been completed in

Ernakulam (Kerala). Not only in Tamil Nadu, farmers have been protesting in Kerala fearing that

they will loose their livelihood. They also want the Government to withdraw the Petroleum &

Mineral Pipelines Act, 1962 (PMP Act). State Government also supports the farmers in this

mater.