Arakkonam plantain growers from acquired lands await crop relief

RANIPET: Plantain crop growers in Arakkonam taluk whose lands were acquired by the State Highways Department for expansion in and around Pinnavaram village are worried over lack of compensation as their plantations were not considered at all, sources revealed.

The issue came to light when A Mohana, a farmer, petitioned the State Highways Department that though she was issued a notice to vacate the acquired lands, no compensation was fixed for plantain crop. In her letter, Mohana stated that her land in survey No:28/11 was used to raise banana which provided her family with its livelihood.

This follows the highways department issuing a notice that though the compensation for land acquired by the highways was paid on June 26, 2021, she was yet to vacate the land. The notice went on to add that if she did not vacate the premises within 30 days of receipt of the notice then the department would take over the land without further ado.

However, enquiries revealed that the issue dates back to the time Ranipet district was created in 2019 when the then Collector Divyadarshini addressed a meeting to get land for the Powergrid Corporation to set up pylons. However, when the affected farmers approached the Horticulture Department the latter replied that they lacked the knowhow to calculate compensation for plantain crop. They sought the help of the Agriculture University to do so.

Finally, it was the farmers’ association, which came to officials rescue. “I had a compensation list issued by the DD (Horticulture) in October 2018, which revealed that horticulture crops, including banana, sita and ram sita and guava plants were fixed specific compensation amount,” said Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam state general secretary S Udayakumar.

Mohana has now appended a copy of this letter to her petition.