Chennai, Jun 14 (IANS): AIADMK's chief coordinator O. Panneerselvam on Monday called upon Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to take steps for immediate withdrawal of invitation of bids by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for development of oil and gas fields in Vadatheru of Pudukottai district in the Cauvery basin.

Urging Stalin to take up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their proposed meeting in New Delhi on June 17, the former Deputy Chief Minister asked him to explain to the Prime Minister the salient features of the state's law on the protected agricultural zone of the Cauvery delta.

Panneerselvam has also termed as "unacceptable" the Chief Minister's request to the Centre for consulting the state government before initiating the process of auction in Tamil Nadu for hydrocarbon exploration and extraction, saying that this has created apprehension in the minds of the people, especially farmers.

He also said that Union Environment and Forests Minister Prakash Javadekar had given assurance to the the AIADMK state government in February 2020 that the final decision as to whether any new project is be commissioned vests with the state government, and asked Stalin to remind Modi of the assurance.