THOOTHUKUDI: Requesting the State government to reconvey the land acquired by SIPCOT for the now defunct Sterlite Copper, Tamil Nadu Makkal Katchi president SM Gandhi Mallar submitted a petition, on behalf of Therkuveerapandiapuram villagers, to District Collector Dr K Senthil Raj on Monday. The petition said the State government acquired over 1,616 acre of land for the SIPCOT project in 1997, and that land parcels were leased to various industries.
"The compensation for the acquired land was granted in different phases and at varied prices. While 48 farmers were given Rs 80,000 per acre in 2008-09, another batch of farmers were given Rs 6.5 lakh in 2010. Farmers are given Rs 15.36 lakh from 2021, after SIPCOT allocated the remaining land for an international furniture park," read the petition.
A Kummareddiarpuram, Kumaragiri and Therkuveerapandiapuram farmers, whose land were leased for Sterlite Copper's expansion project, demanded reconveyance of the land as the expansion project has been annulled since the closure of the copper smelter.
"Villagers have lost their livelihood after they gave away their farmland for the SIPCOT projects. Currently, the value of the land is at least Rs 20 lakh per acre. The State government should return the land to the farmers, or give an increased compensation," said Gandhi Mallar.