Conduct referendum on Cheyyar land acquisition: Anbumani Ramadoss

CHENNAI: Alleging that minister EV Velu is trying to confuse farmers, who are opposing land acquisition for SIPCOT expansion in Cheyyar, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss challenged the government to conduct a referendum among the farmers.

"Minister EV Velu has said in the state assembly that 99 per cent farmers have agreed to part away with their land and one per cent of the farmers are protesting under the incitement of some. The statement of the minister is totally false. It is condemnable that the EV Velu is trying to confuse the farmers," Anbumani said in a statement.

He added that more than 3,000 acres of land belonging to more than 1,000 farmers would be acquired for SIPCOT expansion. As much as 90 per cent of the farmers are protesting against the move.

"When the Maharashtra government tried to acquire 10,000 acres of land for Reliance Special Economic Zone in Raigad district, farmers opposed it. To know the farmers' opinion, a public referendum was conducted in 22 villages in 2008. Even though the results of the referendum, in which 6,000 farmers voted, had not been released, the project was dropped," Anbumani recalled.

He asked the Tamil Nadu government and EN Velu whether the government is ready to conduct a similar referendum on SIPCOT expansion. "The people of Tamil Nadu will teach a lesson to the government if it tries to acquire land by force without respecting the feelings of the farmers," he opined.

In another statement, Anbumani said that 40 per cent and 94 per cent of samba and thaladi crops have failed in Cauvery irrigated districts and urged the government to provide compensation to affected farmers.