Villagers stage protest demanding public path in Salem

Residents protest for public path through land given to magnesite company, demanding return of unused land to farmers.

Residents of Karuppur and nearby panchayats on Monday staged a protest demanding a public path through the land they provided to a private magnesite company.

More than 100 villagers participated in the demonstration in front of the magnesite company office near Vellakalpatti. They raised slogans demanding a public path and to return the unused land given by the farmers to the company.

Speaking to reporters, K.V. Suseenthra Kumar, a resident of Karuppur, said that in 1952, for constructing the locoline from the company to the Karuppur railway station, farmers gave their land, and the government also provided its poramboke land. For over 50 years, the locoline was used for transportation. While providing land for this project, the company assured the farmers, workers, and the public that they can use that path to reach various villages and also assured them to return the land to farmers when the company did not need it.

For the past 15 years, the company has stopped using this locoline. So, the company should hand over the stretch to the State government and the government should lay a 20-foot road for public use.

Regarding this, many times, petitions were submitted, but the company did not take action. So, the company should hand over the land and also sell the unused land to farmers who are ready to buy back their land, Mr. Kumar added.