CHENNAI: Amid continuous protests, the Tamil Nadu government has withdrawn the notification for land acquisition at Melma village in Tiruvannamalai district. The government had proposed to acquire land for the third phase of the Cheyyar SIPCOT industrial park.

Based on the recommendation of the District Collector, the Revenue Department had issued a notification on September 1 to acquire 22.16.00 hectares of land.

The ruling TVK had supported the protests against the proposed acquisition of land at Melma for the expansion of the SIPCOT industrial park. During the protest, TVK General Secretary and Minister Aadhav Arjuna said that Tiruvannamalai was not under anyone’s control and belonged to the people, particularly the farmers, adding that this is their government.

Following this, the Chief Minister announced in the Assembly that the Goondas Act had been invoked against some farmers during the agitation against the project in the DMK regime. He also announced that the government would withdraw the cases against the farmers.

Meanwhile, the government had issued a notification to acquire land at Melma based on the Collector’s recommendation, despite the Minister having earlier extended his support to the protesting farmers. The land acquisition notification has now been scrapped by the government.