Farmers’ markets (uzhavar sandhai) in Tirupur and the one in Singanallur in Coimbatore were shut on Friday as farmers refused to take their produce to the market, in protest against the move to erect power transmission towers on farmlands. Traders extended support to farmers in several villages in the two districts.
The farmers’ protest is against the State Government granting permission to the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited and Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation Limited to erect power transmission towers on farmlands in 14 districts, including those in the western part of the State.
The farmers had been urging the Government to transmit power by laying underground cables along highways so that their lands were spared.
On Friday, the fifth day of protest, farmers did not take their vegetables and fruits to the farmers' markets in Tirupur North, Tirupur South, Avinashi, Palladam, Kangayam in Tirupur district and Singanallur in Coimbatore. Sources said that hundreds of shops were shut leaving farmers with produce worth over ₹25 lakh. Customers were forced to turn to neighbourhood grocery shops and vegetable markets and that too only in places where the traders did carry on their business.
In Sultanpet, Kamanaickenpalayam, Negamam, Thennampalayam and a few other places, traders shut shop in response to a call the farmers had given and supported the demand for transmitting power through underground cables.
The Tirupur and Coimbatore police had posted personnel to prevent untoward incidents.
