CHENNAI: Grama sabhas of villages in and around Parandur on Tuesday adopted a resolution against the acquisition of 4,563.56 acres in 13 villages for the proposed new airport. This comes as the protest against the State government’s plan neared its 100-day mark.
“We are not against the new airport but we want to protect our land and livelihood,” Suresh Babu, president of Thandalam panchayat which consists of Nelvoy, Thandalam, and Kalipatti villages, told TNIE.
G Subramanian, Secretary of Ekanapuram Village People and Farmers’ Welfare Board, also said their gram sabha has passed a resolution opposing the acquisition. This is the third time such a resolution has been passed. “We have been carrying out protests for the last 98 days during the nights.
After 100 days of the stir, we are going to protest by tonsuring our heads,” Subramanian said. There have been also objections to the grama sabha’s resolution. Balaraman, the panchayat president of Parandur, said a resolution had been passed in his absence and added that he opposed any resolution passed against the government.
Residents have been staging protests after three DMK ministers held a dialogue with the eight members of the Ekanapuram Village People and Farmers’ Welfare Board. Subramanian said that the ministers said they will hold discussions with Chief Minister MK Stalin on how to go ahead with the project without impacting the villages and panchayats.
1,005 families to be affected
The State requires 4,563.56 acres spread over 13 villages for the project. Around 1317.18 acres is government poramboke lands. But 3,246.38 acres is patta land — 2,46.79 acres of Najai land and 799 acres of Punjai land. Around 1,005 families will be affected by the project. The State offered 3.5 times the market value for lands in 13 villages. They will be acquired in ‘public interest’ under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act, 2013.