Members of the Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangham led by its president M.R. Sivasamy staged a road blockade at Gandhipuram here on Saturday protesting against the proposed Kangeyampalayam-Mettupalayam bypass road.
The city police removed 266 protestors, including 96 women, and released them in the evening.
The National Highways Authority of Indian (NHAI) has proposed a 59.93-km bypass road from Kangeyampalayam to Mettupalayam at Rs. 617 crore. It will involve acquisition of 875 acres. It published the 3D notification for land acquisition from Kangeyampalayam to Neelambur about a year ago and the 3A notification for the remaining land recently. Farmers and land owners have been protesting against the project seeking a different alignment.
Mr. Sivasamy said that though the NHAI had published 3A notification for land acquisition from Neelambur to Mettupalayam for the road, it would be able to still withdraw the project. “We demand that land acquisition should be dropped and the road should be developed on an alternative route,” he said. All those who would lose land to the project had submitted to the NHAI their objection to the proposal, he added.
The association proposed to organise another agitation soon protesting against the location of the toll gate in the project.
The toll gate should be located on the bypass and not on the main road. “We will continue to organise protests against the project,” he said.
