Stop smear campaign against greenfield expressway, appeals CM

The CM made the reply to the allegations from the Opposition that even several villages from Uthiramerur section have to disappear making way for the expressway to come up. 

Opposition also urged the CM to alter the nomenclature of the expressway by dropping ‘green corridor’ from it and keep it as simple as ‘expressway.’ The CM reiterated that it was a special scheme offered by the Centre and there was no need to worry.  

“Everyone, including the Opposition legislators, knows how much land will be acquired when in case of road formations. Despite this, some elements were milling misinformation among the villagers. The Centre which is funding the project would acquire only the required land,” he said. 

“The affected villagers who give up their land would be compensated with land besides enhanced compensation under land acquisition norms. They would also be provided with green houses by the state in the compensated land if their land holding is less and suits the proposed compensation scheme,” he said. 

As regards to the charges of not holding public consultations, the CM said that the consultative meetings were being held at district levels. 

“Respective District Collectors have been holding meeting with farmers whose land the project cuts through. Most of the farmers were happy to give their land as they are aware that the land value would go north when their retained land gets an expressway next to it,” he added. 

DMK MLA K Sundar (Uthiramerur), who raised the issue, sought the government to hold exhaustive public consultations prior to the rollout of the project.