TIRUVARUR:As the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has agreed to pay compensation to a farmer of Vellakudi village whose farm was affected by the leakage of effluents, the proposed agitation by picketing the ONGC unit in the village was dropped on Saturday.
During the peace talks organised by R Vijayakumar, Special Tahsildar (land acquisition), at the Taluk office at Kudavasal on Friday, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation officials, led by Subir Kakati, general manager (HR), and farmers, led by P S Masilamani, district secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, signed an agreement.
The association had planned the agitation on April 2 to protest against the effluent discharge from the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation unit in Vellakudi that had caused damage to the crops, land and the water sources.
During the talks, it was agreed that a meeting would be held under the chairmanship of Tiruvarur Collector after the elections in which the senior officers of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation would participate to take a decision regarding stoppage of effluent leakage and allay the fears of the farmers. It was also decided to pay compensation to the affected land after due assessment.
After the talks, the farmers association decided to drop the protest, as the oil major was ready to compensate the farmer who had suffered the damages.