Tamil Nadu - Erode   

Villagers oppose SIPCOT expansion plan

R. Sundaram

ERODE: More than 10,000 villagers living in about 20 villages near Perundurai have decided to observe a one-day token fast on Thursday before the Tahsildar Office in Perundurai, to show their protest against the move by the Tamil Nadu Government for the expansion of the SIPCOT Industrial Growth Centre.

The Tamil Nadu Government has acquired 1,500 acres of land in Perundurai and handed them over to SIPCOT for starting industries and also the establishment of an Industrial Growth Centre there.

More industries are demanding allotment of sites in SIPCOT, so it has decided to acquire 1,200 to 1,500 acres of land in Kamiliampatty, Pallakattur, Kasithullampalayam, Sullimedu and 15 other villages.Protestors said industries that were already with SIPCOT were discharging untreated effluents into the drains, which had reached the nearby villages and polluted the environment.

The villagers also complained that the Electricity Board seemed to have a soft corner for the SIPCOT industries, for it was providing them `uninterrupted power supply', while `victimising' farmers, weavers and others by introducing four- to six-hour power shut down.

Residents of the 20 villages observed a demonstration on May 7 in Perundurai and have now decided to observe a one-day token fast on June 14 before the Taluk Office, Perundurai.

They said many farmers who had lost their lands in the present SIPCOT area, had purchased lands in Kambiliampatty and nearby areas and raised crops.

They said that in the proposed 1,500 acres of land, farmers had raised different types of crops.

They said more than 10,000 coconut trees had been raised in the area, turmeric has been cultivated over 150 acres of land, and banana and other crops were in good condition over 300 acres.

SIPCOT would have to destroy standing coconut crops, turmeric and banana crops also, which cost more than Rs, 10 crore.

The newly-formed Environment and Green Movement, with Sivanandam as President and Devaraj as Secretary, has decided to conduct agitations against the acquisition of land for SIPCOT.

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