Chennai, Sep 13 (IANS): The opposition AIADMK on Wednesday staged a protest in Marakkanam in Villupram district of Tamil Nadu against the delay in the construction of a fishing harbour in Azhagankuppam and Alamparai located on the borders of Villupuram and Chengalpattu districts of Tamil Nadu.

Former law minister and AIADMK leader CVe Shanmugam flagged off the protest march. He said that the fishing harbour project was brought by the previous AIADMK government and that Rs 261 crore was sanctioned for it.

Shanmugam said that the harbour project would have benefitted 40,000 fishermen of both the districts.

He said that a petition was filed in the National Green Tribunal that the site proposed for the harbour was the nesting site of Olive Ridley turtles and the NGT withheld the sanction for the project. Hecharged that the ruling DMK had shelved the project and this has affected the lives of thousands of fishermen.

The AIADMK leader alleged that the department of fisheries and forest had earlier issued a no objection certificate for the project during the AIADMK regime but has now changed its position and claimed that the project would affect the nesting sites of Olive Ridley turtles.

He said that the DMK government was indulging in political vendetta against the fishermen. He stated that the present state government which had obtained permission for the construction of a Pen Memorial for former chief minister late M. Karunanidhi had failed to get sanction for the construction of a fishing harbour benefiting thousands of fishermen.