CHENNAI: Peeved at the State government's firm step to enforce the Tamil Nadu Land Consolidation (for Special Projects) Act, 2023 which facilitates allotment of large chunks of land parcels for special projects, farmers' unions and activists are mulling statewide agitations and legal means to prevent implementation of this law.
Ever since the Bill was introduced for this legislation in the Assembly in April last, the farmers and activists have been opposing it. Now, they are in anguish over the framing of rules by the State government for implementing this legislation.
The Act seeks to streamline the process of consolidating government lands for large projects and regulate the process for the exchange of lands involving water bodies, and the protection of such water bodies. Though the Act has certain clauses to protect the waterbodies in large land parcels acquired for special projects, the farmers are sceptical about these provisions and have been opposing them.
Last year, the unions staged demonstrations in Chennai against the Bill and submitted a memorandum to Revenue Minister KKSSR Ramachandran urging him to withdraw this legislation.
Strongly condemning the State government for recently framing rules for this legislation disregarding the views of farmers, P R Pandian, president of All Farmers Organisations' Coordination Committee told TNIE, "This law paves the way for corporate houses taking charge of lakes, ponds, and other water resources. If this legislation is not withdrawn, the ruling DMK will face the wrath of the farmers in the 2026 Assembly elections. In association with other farmers' unions, we will organise massive state-wide protests against this law."
V Jeevakumar, an agricultural activist from Bhoothalur in Thanjavur district, said, "This legislation is nothing but a stab to the farmers on their back because it facilitates giving away large chunks of lands, including waterbodies to corporate companies, in the name of special projects. Once the water bodies have gone to private parties, the general public will not be able to access these waterbodies. No other State, perhaps, has this kind of legislation."
The recent notification of rules of the land consolidation legislation has shocked all farmers, said Sami Natarajan, general secretary of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam (TNVS) affiliated with CPM. He also expressed doubt about whether the rules were framed to complete land acquisition for the Parandur airport project, for which more than 13 large water resources need to be allegedly destroyed.
Though the government had notified the acquisition of land parcels for the project, the farmers have not yet accepted it. According to the 2013 legislation on the acquisition of lands, the government can acquire lands only if 80% of the people in the area agree to it. In Parandur, 80% of the people have opposed the project. The government has also so far refrained from releasing the report submitted by the committee headed by retired IAS officer Machendranathan on the Parandur project.
PS Masilamani, general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam affiliated to CPI, also expressed deep anguish at the development. The government might have framed the rules as part of its keen interest to attract foreign investments, he added.
Advocate M Vetriselvan of Poovulagin Nanbargal, an organisation for environmental issues, said, "Though the legislation was notified in October last, it comes into force only now since the rules are framed. According to this law, the land parcel, including the waterbodies located in it, can be transferred to the private parties on an assurance that they will preserve it. In due course, the private company may contend that the flow of the watercourse has been diverted and the water resources could be reclassified as flood drain areas so that the land parcel can be used for other purposes." Vetriselvan said the Poovulagin Nanbargal is mulling legal means to check the enforcement of this legislation.