HT line protest ends, massive stir planned in Chennai on Jan 3

Coimbatore

Hundreds of farmers have been staging peaceful protests at several places in the four western districts against the proposed project jointly undertaken by the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited and Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation Limited.

The proposed power line is likely to cut through farmlands in as many as 13 districts, including Karur, Erode, Namakkal, Salem, Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Tiruvannamalai, Dindigul and Tirupur.

Expressing apprehension that the market value of their lands would crash due to the H-T power lines, the farmers claimed that their livelihood was at stake. They have instead suggested that the power cables be laid underground like in Kerala.

The protests drew the attention of Opposition parties and gained momentum.

However, the State government clamped down and refused permission to members of political parties to join the protesters. On Friday, members of various political parties, who visited the protest venue, were either sent back or arrested in all the western districts.
Considering the situation, the farmers ended their protest on Sunday. However, they have vowed to shift the scene of action to Chennai.

“We have decided to drop the protest as the government is in no mood to yield to our demands. As the Assembly convenes on January 2, we have decided to gherao the Secretariat on January 3 around 10 am. More than 10,000 farmers are expected to participate in the protest in Chennai,” said a farmer from Coimbatore.

Earlier in the day, farmers in Salem ended their protest by covering their head and face with a cloth. In Erode district, the protesters threw mud and cursed the government to express their anguish.