Tamilnadu Vivasayigal Sangam to lay siege to taluk offices on March 1

A file picture of leaders of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam. Photo: M. Moorthy.

Tamilnadu Vivasayigal Sangam affiliated to Communist Party of India (Marxist) will lay siege to taluk offices across the State on March 1 demanding restoration of ‘Panchami Lands’ to Dalits, said P. Shanmugam, State secretary of the sangam, on Thursday.

Mr. Shanmugam told The Hindu that the sangam was planning an agitation before the taluk offices urging the government to reclaim 5.5 lakh acres of Panchami Lands in the state occupied or controlled by “rich and influential people”.

These lands should be given to the Dalits.

The Sangam also urged the government to establish a separate authority to retrieve and manage the Panchami Lands in the state.

Mr. Shanmugam also demanded that the government issue two acres of land to the landless farmers and free house site pattas to the landless.

Earlier, he met District Revenue Officer P. Prabhakaran and submitted a memorandum requesting him to reclaim more than 500 acres from an influential family in Reddipatti in the district.

Later, he along with Mr. P. Dillibabu, Harur M.L.A. and D. Ravindran, District Secretary, CPI (M), squatted near the Collector’s chambers demanding proper reply from the authorities.

Revenue Divisional Officer A. Anbarasu promised the leaders that he would take proper action in two months after verifying documents. He also promised to stop transfer of lands under dispute in the Reddipatti village.