Farmers to intensify protests against expressway in Tiruvannamalai

Convenor of Federation Against Salem-Chennai Eight-Lane Expressway advocate S Abiraman said the protests would begin on June 4 with a demonstration in front of the Tiruvannamalai collectorate.

TIRUVANNAMALAI: A day after the Centre moved the Supreme Court with a petition to quash the order of Madras High Court annulling the land acquisition proceedings for the 277.3 km long Salem-Chennai eight-lane expressway, farmers in Tiruvannamalai have announced that they would launch a series of protests against the project.

Convenor of Federation Against Salem-Chennai Eight-Lane Expressway advocate S Abiraman said the protests would begin on June 4 with a demonstration in front of the Tiruvannamalai collectorate.
“We have decided to launch a series of protests against the project as it will deprive the farmers of their livelihood and damage their land and trees. The first protest will be on June 4 in front of  Tiruvannamalai collectorate,” he said on Saturday.

The Madras High Court cancelled the land acquisition proceedings on April 8 this year saying the project failed to get environmental clearance before proceeding to acquire land. Abiraman said that an urgent meeting of the representatives of farmers and activists was held on Friday to discuss the fallout of the appeal in the Supreme Court.“It is decided that farmers concerned should implead themselves in the case before the Supreme Court,” he said.

The convenor of the federation said that the farmers would lay siege to central government establishments including post offices and resort to rail roko to mount pressure on the Centre to give up the project which may require about 5000 acres of land spreading across 92 villages in Tiruvannamalai district alone.
The proposed green corridor road is to run for about 122 km in the district, beginning from Neepathurai to Erumavetti in Cheyyar Taluk. Abiraman said that the future course of action would be decided on June 4, after holding the demonstration in front of the collectorate.

Agitations enter 2nd day in Salem
Salem: Demanding withdrawal of the proposed Salem-Chennai Green Expressway Corridor, hundreds of farmers protested for the second consecutive day at Kuppanur, Paruthikadu, and Ramalingapuram in Salem on Saturday. Several farmers hoisted black flags on their agricultural lands while many staged a road-roko on Nazhikal junction road, as part of the protests. 

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