COIMBATORE: Farmers from Sulur taluk have opposed using their agricultural land for laying another 70 km stretch gas pipeline from Irugur to Muthur.
They have urged the state government to intervene in the issue.
M Ganesan, a farmer from Ravathur Village in Sulur, said, “About 25 years ago, 40 cents out of 2.85 acres of lands were taken up for laying gas pipeline by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL). However, we were not provided any compensation for acquiring of land. They gave an amount for the crops. We have not made any lease agreement. Meanwhile, the company is working on laying another pipeline from Irugur to Muthur on our land and this decision would affect farmers who already lost a portion of their land for this purpose.”
Esan Murugasamy, Tamizha Vivasayigal Pathukappu Sangam president, said, “In Chief Minister M K Stalin’s election manifesto and during his campaign, he promised the farmers that all the pipeline projects including GAIL Gas Pipeline Project, IDPL Oil Pipeline Project will be constructed only along the road. However, these promises were ignored and BPCL, which has been called for bids to be sold by the Central government to the private sector, has cheated the farmers by providing police protection for the project of laying an oil pipeline from Irugur to Muthur.”
He added, “During the peace committee meeting held at Sulur taluk office a month ago, we strongly objected to carrying pipeline work on agricultural land and demanded to carry it out along the highway roads because the livelihood of farmers has already been affected during the first pipeline installation and the value of the land has also fallen drastically. As the neighbouring farmlands are selling for at least Rs 2 crore per acre, there is no one to ask for these lands, no business can be done and the agricultural yield has also been severely affected. The current decision will affect over 2,000 farmers.”