Residents of three panchayats instal placards calling for poll boycott

Hundreds of farmers from three panchayats in Nagapattinam district have installed placards calling for boycott of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls

Hundreds of farmers from three panchayats in Nagapattinam district have installed placards calling for boycott of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. They placed black flags in front of their houses to protest against the alleged denial of their due Restoration and Rehabilitation (R and R) relief from the Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (CPCL) that acquired their farmland.

Panchayats, including Panangudi, Narimanam, and Gopurajapuram are involved in the protest. In 2020, the CPCL acquired 642 acres of farmland in these panchayats for which compensation had not been provided, said the protesters.

A Sakthivel, secretary of Petroleum Corporation Ltd. Land Acquisition Owner and Farmers Rehabilitation Welfare Association, said: “More than 3,000 persons are affected in this. As of now, the district administration has not shown any inclination in resolving this. The 2013 R and R policy clearly states when a land is acquired comprehensive analysis must be made on all types of losses incurred and duly compensate them. Landowners, lessee farmers, and agriculture labourers have lost their livelihood. We urge the district administration to take steps to compensate us. We demand that CPCL should compensate us based on the market value and not on the guidance value for the land.”

A senior official in the district administration said: “Only a section of farmers are affected. The relief is being given as per the R and R 2013 to all the affected persons. They are expecting things to happen in a speedy manner. For us, we have a process to follow and only through that we can give the due relief. We will ensure no one is affected.”