Stop being a spectator: Vijayakanth slams DMK govt over NLC issue

CHENNAI: The Neyveli Lignite Corporation must stop acquiring land against villagers, said the DMDK’s leader Vijaykanth on Saturday and urged the government to stop spectating on the issue and intervene the earliest to save the livelihood of the people belonging to the village of Valayamadevi, keel vazhlaiyama devi , Karivetty and its surrounding areas.

He said that the villagers are facing difficulty navigating into the locality and also mentioned that he had met with the treasurer of the association, Premalatha Vijayakanth, Rakesh Kumar, who was the chairman of NLC India, and submitted a request regarding the issue.

According to a Daily Thanthi report, the actor-turned-politician condemned the ruling DMK for spectating on the issue. He added that NLC must give justifiable compensation to the land owners and the contractor workers must be given permanent employment.

In the statement, he questions the ethics behind using force to acquire agricultural land and emphasized that the State and Central government schemes are for the welfare of the people and not for affecting them. He insisted that he does not welcome any scheme that destroys the livelihood of the people.

According to sources, the NLC in Cuddalore has planned to undergo a second phase of excavation operations in the nearby villages. In accordance with the operation, the NLC has been acquiring the nearby agricultural land against the people’s will.

Moreover, it has been reported that the police have set up barricades at the entrance to the villages of Rangamathevi, Kilpadi, Karivetti and Adanur where the land is to be acquired.

Besides, restrictions have been imposed on the entry of people from outside the village.