Farmers and residents from various villages in Walajah and Katpadi taluks staged a protest on Sunday demanding that agricultural lands should be exempted from a proposed gas pipeline project.
Around 500 people from 10 villages took part in the protest. “IOCL has made stone markings on several lands in these 10 villages. They are reportedly taking up a gas pipeline project through this part of Vellore. We staged demonstration to demand that agricultural lands, wells and waterbodies should be spared from such projects,” said L.C. Mani of Tamil Nadu Vivasaigal Sangam.
The farmers wanted the proposed pipelines to be routed under the State Highways or other roads and not through agricultural lands, he said.
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DMK party leader and Member of Legislative Assembly of Katpadi Durai Murugan met the protesting farmers and held talks with them. “There is still no clarity about what project is being taken up. The farmers and villagers have been kept in the dark. I assured them to take up this issue with the party headquarters,” Mr. Durai Murugan.
A farmers’ association had last week submitted a petition to district officials seeking clarity on the project. Farmers said that a few months ago, officials visited many of their lands and erected stones. But they were not informed what work was going to be taken up on their lands.