DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi (File Photo | Express)
Tamil Nadu

Land acquisition for space park will be dropped: Thoothukudi MP Karunanidhi

Over 1.5K acres in Athiyakurichi was notified for ISRO’s rocket launching pad project.

Express News Service

THOOTHUKUDI: Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi assured residents of Athiyakurichi that the land acquisition for the Space Industrial Park and Propellants Park would be withdrawn.

The Industries, Investment Promotion & Commerce Department recently notified over 1,500 acres in Athiyakurichi village for the Space Industrial Park and Propellants Park project, as ISRO’s rocket launching pad project, was established at Kulasekarapattinam.

Residents of Athiyakurichi visited Kanimozhi appealing to drop the acquisition. They raised concerns that the project could impact their livelihood as they largely depend on agriculture and farming, especially palmyra, coconut trees, and moringa farms.

Kanimozhi told the villagers she had taken the issue to the minister concerned.

Meanwhile, Tiruchendur residents are also fuming as the state acquired several hundred acres, and also proposed more land acquisition in Tiruchendur Assembly constituency for ISRO’s rocket launching pad at Kulasekarapattinam, the Udangudi Thermal Power Plant.

Owing to continuous land acquisition, on the grounds of industrialisation, Fisheries Minister Anitha R Radhakrishnan reportedly urged the top officials to call off the land acquisition at Athiyakurichi, claiming that it may prove to be a setback in the upcoming Assembly elections.

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