Ind’l park: EPS claims credit for saving farmlands in Coimbatore

CHENNAI: Leader of opposition and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami claimed credit for the AIADMK’s continuous protests for the DMK government’s decision to rollback its order to acquire 3,800 acres of agricultural land in Annur, Avinashi and Mettupalayam taluks for establishing a new industrial park.

“It is a victory for the AIADMK party’s sustained protest to protect the rights of the farmers,” said EPS in a statement and added the party would remain a guardian of the farmers’ rights and welfare.

The government issued an order on August 16 last year to acquire the agricultural land in six panchayats in Annur and neighbouring areas to facilitate the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation to establish the industrial park. Following this, the party’s senior leaders S P Velumani along with senior leaders staged a protest in October month. The party functionaries continued the protest and extended the party’s solidarity to the farmers’ protest against the land acquisition. Apart from this, the party’s senior leaders staged a hunger protest on November 28 this year regarding the issue. Besides this, the LoP has cautioned that the AIADMK party would resort to a massive protest if it did not roll back its decision to take away the agricultural lands, said EPS in the statement.

The ‘incompetent’ DMK government recently passed an order, stating that it would not acquire the land without the consent of the farmers. This was the outcome of the farmers’ collective efforts and the support extended by the AIADMK party, he said. “The DMK government would not attempt to take away the farmers’ agricultural lands. The AIADMK party would always stand for the affected farmers,” he said.