TNM Impact: TN Min to hold discussions on Ennore cash payouts, will an inquiry follow?

Following TNM’s report that money was paid to four villages in Chennai’s Ennore to quell protests against Coromandel International Limited (CIL), Tamil Nadu Minister of Environment and Climate Change Siva V Meyyanathan has called for a meeting with authorities concerned to discuss the issue on Wednesday, August 28. CIL is Murugappa Group’s fertiliser manufacturing unit in Ennore.

“It is a serious issue if money has been distributed and a pact has been drawn. Such dealings will not be permitted if true. I have called the authorities concerned to discuss the matter, and based on the discussions, we will proceed,” the Minister told TNM. Meyyanathan also added that the company will not be permitted to re-open their Ammonia unit unless the guidelines are followed and the required permissions from concerned authorities are provided. 

TNM reported that four fishing villages located in close proximity to the CIL plant were paid cash. Villagers told TNM that two of the four villages, namely Thalankuppam and Nettukuppam, were given Rs 1 crore each, while Periyakuppam and Chinnakuppam were paid Rs 50 lakh and Rs 35 lakh, respectively. Every resident of these villages who was a part of the village committee was paid Rs 10,000 each, while widows were paid Rs 5,000 each. 

These four villages were among the 33 villages that protested against CIL for over 100 days of protest, following the ammonia gas leak that hospitalised 42 people in December 2023. They had been demanding that the plant be permanently closed. 

Many villagers from the four villages said that DMK MLA KP Shankar had organised talks between CIL and the people of these four villages. The MLA, however, completely denied these allegations. CIL also said that they did not give payouts to the villagers. It therefore remains unclear as to who distributed the cash to the people. 

A citizens collective, comprising retired High Court judges K Kannan, D Hariparanthaman, and others, has demanded the state government initiate investigations by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), the Income Tax (IT) Department, and other appropriate independent agencies.

In a statement released on August 24, CIL said, “A section of media reports involving the company’s name are totally baseless and untrue. The company has always been adhering to the highest governance standards and may take appropriate action against any false and misleading information.”