Plachimada victims resent Centre’s action

The Plachimada Tribunal Bill returned without forwarding it to the President

Resentment is brewing among victims of the groundwater exploitation and pollution caused by Coca-Cola at Plachimada village of Palakkad with the Union Home Ministry returning the Plachimada Tribunal Bill passed unanimously by the State Assembly without forwarding it to the President for his assent.

The Ministry was sitting on the Bill ever since it was passed in 2011. It was only last week that the Ministry returned the Bill to the State government directing it to approach the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

‘‘The Plachimada Coca-Cola Victims’ Relief and Compensation Tribunal Bill, 2011, was passed unanimously by the State Assembly. A Bill passed by a State legislature should have been forwarded to the President for assent within six weeks. The Centre’s refusal to do so was unconstitutional. We strongly believe that the Cola giant has influenced the Union government for not implementing its provisions,’’ said Arumughan Pathichira, leader of the Plachimada Samara Samithi. According to Samithi chairman Vilayodi Venugopal, the direction to approach the NGT was part of a concerted effort to deny justice as the State government and the local community had already given satisfactory replies to queries from the Tribunal.

He said the holding up of the Bill further in order to favour an American company would cause erosion of people’s faith in democratic polity and the federal character of the Constitution. Moreover, it was causing huge injustice to the residents of Plachimada, who had already suffered a lot.

The Bill, the outcome of a protracted people's struggle, saw the Coca-Cola unit being closed down in 2005.

Call for concerted effort

‘‘The issue requires rallying together of the State government, MPs from Kerala, and all political parties. Only a concerted effort can ensure justice,’’ said Indyanur Gopi, former chairman of the Plachimada Struggle Solidarity Committee.

Source: The Hindu

Centre slams back by asking state to withdraw the Plachimada Coca-Cola bill

Thiruvananthapuram: Is the central government in favour of the Cola conglomerates? Well a recent letter to CPI-M MP MB Rajesh says ‘Yes’.

In a setback to people who suffered losses due to environmental damage allegedly caused by the Coca-Cola Unit at Plachimada in Palakkad, the Centre has asked the state government to withdraw the a bill related with relief and compensation.

This was stated by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in a recent letter to M B Rajesh, CPI-M MP from Palakkad, to a question he raised in Parliament on the present status of the bill passed by the state Assembly and forwarded to Centre for Presidential assent in 2011.

Singh said in the letter that the Law Ministry had opined that provisions of the Cola Victims Relief and Compensation Claims Special Tribunal Bill were in direct conflict with those of the National Green Tribunal Act.

It was further stated that state Assembly does not appear to possess the necessary legislative competence to enact a law for the constitution of a tribunal to adjudicate matters arising out of violations of laws formulated by Parliament.

A high level committee, appointed by the state government to report the loss caused to the people, had estimated an amount of Rs 216.25 crore as compensation due from the firm.

Rajesh alleged that the state government kept this matter under wrap even though the Centre had informed it through a letter on December 1, 2014.

This showed that in the case of coca-cola, both Congress-led UDF government and BJP government had joined hands, he alleged.

The proposed bill passed in February 24, 2011 envisaged setting up of a tribunal to try all disputes for compensation and secure it from Coco-Cola company.

Coca-Cola closed down its unit at Plachimada in March 2004 following agitation by local people complaining of environment pollution and over exploitation of ground water by the company.

Source: E Vartha 21 Jan 2015