Over 1,000 farmers besiege Annur taluk office against proposed SIPCOT

COIMBATORE: More than 1,000 farmers besieged the Annur taluk office in Coimbatore on Monday demanding to scrap the proposal to establish a SIPCOT industrial park in their locality.

The state government 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).

TIDCO has identified the 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 proposed project, the farmers in Annur formed, ‘Nilam Namathe’ (land is ours) committee to hold a series of protests against land acquisition. On November 14, more than 500 farmers took out a vehicle rally to highlight their issue.

Further, on Monday, a large number of farmers besieged the Annur taluk office demanding to scrap the proposed project. They threatened to intensify the projects if the government fails to heed to their demand to put off this project.

The farmers were against the takeover of their ancestral farmlands, which serves as their source of livelihood. Heavy police personnel were deployed as a precaution.