SALEM: The residents of Kullampatti protested with cattle against proposed Green Expressway Corridor between Salem-Chennai here on Sunday. In February this year, the State and Union Government announced an eight lane road will be laid between Salem-Chennai via Salem, Dharmapuri, Tiruvannamalai and Kancheepuram districts at the cost of Rs.10,000 crores.
The land measuring works for the project was concluded in Salem district for 31 km out of 36.9 km. In many places, while officials measured land, farmers protested against the land measuring. But officials measured the land with heavy police protection.
Meanwhile on Sunday, residents of Kullampatti near Ayothiyapattinam tied black clothes on the horns of their cattle registering their protest to the project as they held placards with messages such as ''let us live''.
Later the farmers took the cattle to a temple in the locality and to seek divine help to stop the execution of project. Speaking to media persons, the farmers said that for the project, around 75 acres of farm lands and temple, schools is set to be demolished in their village.
Already the farm land has been drastically reducing in Tamil Nadu and the remaining lands to be preserved and not to be acquired for these type of projects.
"Government is saying new industries will come up through this project. But how could one live without food and just industries. There are already three ways to reach Chennai from Salem. So the new eight lane road is not necessary. The Government shall widen present roads or increase number of trains to Chennai," they added.