OPS, Krishnasamy call for revoking TANTEA land transfer

CHENNAI/COIMBATORE: Former chief minister and ousted AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam on Tuesday demanded the state to revoke its order to hand over Tamil Nadu Tea Plantation Corporation’s 2,152 hectares of tea plantation to Forest Department to safeguard the livelihood of hundreds of workers. He sought the immediate intervention of Chief Minister MK Stalin in the issue to redress the grievance of the workers and ensure their livelihood.

“Under the banner of ‘Dravidian Model’ government, the ruling party has been indulging in “hate model” governance,” he said and strongly condemned the state government. He demanded the immediate intervention of the Chief Minister to address the issue to ensure the welfare of the tea plantation workers.

Meanwhile, Ceylon Workers Congress leader Senthil Thondaman along with VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan met Chief Minister Stalin and urged the state to construct houses for the retired TANTEA workers. “The Chief Minister has assured to construct houses for all the 670 TANTEA workers’ families in TANTEA,” said Thirumavalavan, while addressing reporters, after meeting the CM.

Senthil Thondaman also welcomed the decision of the state government to construct houses for TANTEA workers.

Speaking to reporters in Coimbatore, Puthiya Tamilagam president K Krishnasamy on Tuesday said the decision to hand over the TANTEA land may ruin the livelihood of several hundreds of people.

“It remains the only source of livelihood for around 600 families in Valparai and 1,000 families in the Nilgiris. They may be forced to go jobless if the forest department takes over TANTEA,” he said.

“If TANTEA had met with loss, it’s because of the wrong policies of the administration,” Krishnasamy noted.