PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss on Friday said he would embark on a padayatra on January 7 and 8 in Neyveli to protect 25,000 acres of fertile lands from being taken over by the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC), and demand its shutdown of Neyveli Lignite Corporation.
Party sources said this is a continuation of his stated stated efforts to flag important issues in every district, as done in Dharmapuri and Ariyalur previously.
“In Dharmapuri, he went on a similar padayatra demanding the implementation of Cauvery Surplus Water scheme. In Ariyalur, he embarked on a similar journey demanding a revival of Chola-era irrigation system, which could revitalise the region. In a similar way, he will undertake a padayatra in Neyveli to flag issues such as sea water entering the land at various places, compensation being denied to people who have already given land, locals not being given jobs; and he will question the need for surplus land when what has been acquired already remains unused,” said a PMK leader.
In a statement, Dr. Anbumani said if the NLC acquired 25,000 acres of fertile agricultural land to expand its second mine, the livelihood of around 17,000 families would be affected as a revenue of ₹10 lakh could be made from one acre every year.
‘No gain for people’
“There is no gain for the people by giving their lands for the expansion of NLC. In the past, the NLC failed to give permanent jobs to those who gave them lands, and the situation is going to be the same this year as well,” said Dr. Anbumani.
He said the NLC was showing urgency in acquiring land because the Centre had already planned to privatise it in 2025. “Private company cannot acquire 25,000 acres. So, the Centre wants the NLC to acquire 25,000 acres of land and sell the NLC together to a private company,” he alleged, and added: “This should not be allowed. We have to protect the NLC’s environment and the livelihood of people.”