NAGAPATNAM: Residents of three panchayats in Thirumarugal block of the district protesting for the past several months in demand of compensation for livelihoods lost by parting lands for CPCL’s refinery expansion finally engaged in peace talks with the collector on Tuesday.
While the collector assured of administrative action within three months, a majority expressed scepticism and demanded he put it in writing. To this, the former told them to submit a representation on the same. After months of protests, including boycott of the Lok Sabha election, Collector Johny Tom Varghese convened a meeting with the residents of Panangudi, Gopurajapuram and Narimanam panchayats in a meeting at the collectorate on Tuesday. The move comes after dozens of villagers from Panangudi that morning staged a demonstration in demand of compensation for loss of livelihood under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act for the 247 hectares of land they parted with over the past few years to CPCL for industrial expansion. They also demanded an immediate meeting with the collector over the demands.
Following this, District Revenue Officer R Baby convened a meeting with a group of protesters around 4 pm following which Collector Varghese held one with another group around 6 pm. Other officials from the district administration and representatives of CPCL participated. In the meeting, the collector assured the villagers that they would benefit from the CPCL compensation by August. He also urged them to not hind the land survey undertaken by the company. While one group was convinced, another refused to allow land surveying until they were offered the compensation for livelihood. To the collector advised them to submit a representation on the same.