Anbumani slams land acquisition for industrial park in Parandur

CHENNAI: PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss has opposed the Tamil Nadu government's move to acquire 410 acres of agricultural land in Maduramangalam near Parandur in Kancheepuram district for a semiconductor and electronics manufacturing park and other industrial purposes.

In a statement, Anbumani questioned the government's decision to drop the Parandur airport project, citing concerns over agricultural land, while proceeding with land acquisition for an industrial park in the same region.
He said 410.80 acres of dry agricultural land and 11.55 acres of poramboke land, totalling 423.35 acres, had been notified for acquisition for a new SIPCOT complex in Maduramangalam.

He alleged that officials were now intensifying the land acquisition process and asking landowners to accept compensation fixed by the previous government.

Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay had announced in the Assembly on August 31 that a semiconductor and electronics manufacturing park would be established in Maduramangalam at a cost of Rs 175 crore, with investments of around Rs 2,000 crore expected. About 35.20 acres had reportedly been earmarked for the park.

Anbumani said the proposed acquisition would affect hundreds of farmers whose livelihoods depend on the dry agricultural lands, where mango, coconut and teak trees are grown.

Agricultural labourers working on these lands would also lose their livelihoods, he said.

Pointing out that Maduramangalam is located close to the proposed Parandur airport site, Anbumani questioned why the government could not relocate the semiconductor park and the larger 423.35-acre SIPCOT project to government-owned or already acquired land.

He urged the government to drop the acquisition of agricultural land and establish the projects on government-owned or already acquired land instead.