Ryots walk 32 km from Annur to Kovai protesting SIPCOT park

COIMBATORE: More than 1,000 farmers took out a protest march from Annur to Coimbatore city on Monday demanding to scrap the state government’s proposal to establish a SIPCOT industrial park in their locality.

The state recently issued an order to acquire 3,731.6 acres spread across six villages in Annur and Mettupalayam taluks to set up the industrial park by Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO).

The TIDCO has identified land spread over in Pallepalayam, Pogalur, Kuppanur, Akkarai, Sengampalli, Vadakkalur villages in Annur taluk, besides Iluppanatham and Bellepalayam villages in Mettupalayam taluk for acquisition.

Opposing the project, the farmers who have come together to form ‘Nilam Namathe’ (land is ours) took out the march for a distance of 32 km. They commenced the rally after observing prayers at Manneswarar Temple in Annur in morning and reached Mundhi Vinayagar Temple in Puliakulam around evening.

As they came by walking through Gandhipuram and Avinashi Road, the members of political parties and the public stood by the way and pledged their support for the protest. On reaching the temple in Puliakulam, the farmers submitted a petition to Lord Vinayagar to address their grievance.

The farmers have been holding a series of protests against land acquisition. Meanwhile, BJP state president K Annamalai is participating in a protest in support of farmers in Annur on December 7.