TN revokes Goondas against protesting ‘farmers’ ahead of special Assembly session
According to the government release, the families, in their representation to the minister, gave an undertaking that they committed a mistake at the instigation of outsiders and they would not unnecessarily oppose government projects like this in future.
Representative image.
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Friday revoked the Goondas Act invoked against six 'farmers' of Tiruvannamalai who protested against the establishment of the SIPCOT phase-III industrial park in Cheyyar.
Late Friday night, Chief Minister M K Stalin issued orders to revoke the Goondas detention order issued by the Tiruvannamalai district collector against the six farmers. The Chief Minister revoked the Goondas orders in the backdrop of condemnation raised by Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami among the opposition leaders, and that too a day before the State Assembly sits for a special session to re-adopt the 10 bills returned by Governor R N Ravi.
A release issued by the state government late Friday justified the setting up of phase III of the SIPCOT industrial park in Cheyyar and said that about 19 persons, including one Arul of Krishnagiri, a functionary of the Farmers Movement Against Melma SIPCOT, were arrested on November 4 for engaging in various unlawful activities, including preventing government officials from discharging their duty, disturbing public order by frequently resorting to road roko, preventing people who volunteered to offer their land for the project and assaulting cops on duty and damaging public property.
Clarifying that six of the 19 persons having many cases against them were detained under Goondas Act by the Tiruvannamalai district collector based on the recommendation of the district SP, the release said that the family members of six detenues, Pachaiyappan, Devan, Chozhan, Tirumal, Masilamani and Bagyaraj, accompanied by Cheyyar MLA, met state PWD minister (E V Velu) Friday evening and petitioned for the release of the arrested farmers.
According to the government release, the families, in their representation to the minister, gave an undertaking that they committed a mistake at the instigation of outsiders and they would not unnecessarily oppose government projects like this in future.
According to the government statement, only seven acres of the total 3,174 acres required for the SIPCOT industrial park project were cultivable lands and notification has been issued only for acquiring 1,200 acres now and none of it was cultivable land. The release also said that only 239 of the 1,881 land owners have given objection petitions for land acquisition.