Anti-green corridor protest: Valarmathi held

Valarmathi (22), who is from Veeranam near Salem, had visited Acchankuttapatti area where the revenue officials were carrying out a land survey for the project. She then spoke to local villagers opposing the project and against the State government for resorting to intimidation tactics to quell down the voice of the protestors. 

When police intervened to know the purpose of her visit, Valarmathi questioned the government’s move to acquire land belonging to farmers. 

A verbal altercation broke out, following which the police forcefully took her to the Ammapettai police station. Meanwhile, high drama prevailed as Kalaivani alias Vijayalakshmi, an assistant engineer of Asthampatty zone of Salem Corporation, had an argument with land acquisition special Tahsildar Venkadesan over the land acquisition. 

Two of her 14 acres of farmland has been earmarked for acquisition. 

She charged that the route which originally ran through large industrial units and colleges has been altered through farmlands without a proper survey. 

Expressing their opposition, farmers hoisted black flags in their fertile farmlands at Kuppanur against the State government acquiring their lands for the project.