The Tamil Nadu government intended to acquire land for the expansion of SIPCOT in Tiruvannamalai district only because it wanted to provide employment to the educated youth, Minister for Public Works E.V. Velu said in the Assembly on Wednesday.
The people in the area were “instigated” by some individuals to protest against land acquisition by the State government, he said. Of the nine villages, people in seven came forward to part with their lands, but those only in two were against it, he said.
Responding to the concerns raised by Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami over the arrest and detention of farmers under the Goondas Act for protesting against land acquisition, Mr. Velu said those arrested by the police were in fact did not own even a cent of land in that district.
Mr. Palaniswami said that farmers were only protesting to protect their lands and criticised the DMK government for having arrested them and further detaining them under the Goondas Act. The Minister said, “99% of the people are supporting the expansion of SIPCOT” and further maintained that only a few people were against it. There were many educated youth in his Tiruvannamalai district and the government intended to provide employment to them with this expansion, Mr. Velu said.
