Reacting to The News Minute’s report that money was offered to local communities to suppress protests against the reopening of the Coromandel fertiliser plant in Chennai’s Ennore, Anbumani Ramadoss, MP and president of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), called for a thorough investigation by central agencies and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the matter.
The Coromandel plant was initially closed in December 2023 after a gas leak in which many people were hospitalised, which prompted widespread protests from thousands of residents across 33 affected villages. Political leaders, including Anbumani, had demanded the plant’s permanent closure due to the risks it posed to public health and safety. Despite these demands, the South Zone Green Tribunal granted conditional permission for the plant to reopen.
According to TNM’s investigation, a large amount of money was distributed to four fishing villages near the plant in an effort to quell the protests. Rs 10,000 was handed over to most village residents, though it was unclear who provided the money.
“Although DMK legislator Shankar and the plant management have separately denied this, the people of the area and environmentalists have said that there is truth to this allegation. These anti-virtuous actions to keep the Coromandel plant running are reprehensible. It is not right that the Tamil Nadu government is watching this quietly. There is no difference between people who were protesting against the Thoothukudi Sterlite plant being shot dead and how people are being silenced to save the Coromandel plant,” Anbumani said.
He added that a group of social activists, including former High Court judges, have also demanded that the Tamil Nadu government order an investigation by central agencies, including the Income Tax Department, into the alleged payments. Anbumani urged the state government to recommend a CBI investigation to ensure that justice is served and the truth is revealed to the public.