T.N. CM should make his stand on NLCIL land acquisition clear: PMK

PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss accused T.N. CM M.K. Stalin of adopting opposite stands when it came to farmers’ welfare; he said the proposed land acquisition move by NLCIL would badly impact farmers in Cuddalore district

PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss on Tuesday said Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was adopting diametrically opposite stands on farmers’ welfare. He was speaking with regard to the proposed land acquisition move by NLC India Ltd. (NLCIL) for its expansion projects.

At a public meeting at Kurunjipadi in Cuddalore district on Tuesday night, Mr. Ramadoss said that on the one hand, the DMK had presented a separate budget for agriculture while on the other hand, it was working against the interests of farmers on various projects.

Mr. Ramadoss said that farmers were the worst sufferers in projects like SIPCOT, land acquisition by NLCIL for expansion, the textile park by Southern India Mills’ Association (SIMA), and the move to evaluate lignite deposits near the Veeranam tank in Cuddalore district. “The ruling DMK is wholly responsible, and the Chief Minister should make his stand clear on the NLCIL issue,” he said.

The State government should drop its move to acquire land for NLCIL and it was really a matter of concern that the two Ministers from Cuddalore district were playing second fiddle to the NLCIL authorities for their expansion projects, he charged. Rolling up his dhoti, he warned that not even an inch of land would be given to the NLCIL for its land acquisition.

Mr. Ramadoss claimed that Cuddalore district’s land and environmental degradation started after the NLCIL set foot in the district. “The PSU snatched around 36,000 acres of land from landowners in 44 villages and sucked the groundwater out for its projects. The district’s artesian wells, from which water naturally reached the ground, depleted. The depth in groundwater levels has seen a steep decrease from eight feet to 1,000 feet now,” he said.

He said that NLCIL had now tied up with a private firm to evaluate lignite deposits in villages around the Veeranam lake without taking into account the livelihood of farmers and food security of people in the area, which has been declared a protected agricultural zone in the Cauvery delta region. At 200 places, research has been initiated. The farmers fear that the work can be restarted at any point and NLCIL can set up mines in the area soon.

The problem arising due to NLCIL’s project was not confined to the 49 villages alone, but the entire district, Mr. Ramadoss saod. The Cuddalore district administration should drop its move to acquire lands for NLCIL, failing which the PMK would intensify its protest, he warned.