Farmers besieged the District Collector's Office and filed a petition against the construction of an industrial hub on agricultural land in the Annur and Mettupalayam areas next to Coimbatore.
Coimbatore: TIDCO's Director, through the District Collector, had sought from the Government of Tamil Nadu, through the District Collector, to grant administrative permission for the acquisition of approximately 1,504 hectares of land in the areas comprising two Revenue Villages in the Mettupalayam Circle, four Revenue Villages, in the Annur area next to Coimbatore.
Farmers besieged the District Collector's Office in Coimbatore today demanding a ban on the acquisition of agricultural land by villagers to set up industrial hub in the area.
According to the petition, the livelihood of about 50,000 people living in the slums around Annur is dependent on agriculture. Agricultural labourers depend on the agricultural work done here. They said the long yearned Avinashi-Athikadavu project was coming alive and hence the acquisition should be stopped.
The resolution not to acquire agricultural lands was passed in five panchayats and brought to the attention of the Collector and more than 1,000 applications were sent to the Chief Minister. The petition states that the farmers are therefore seeking an order from the government to issue a legal notice that the land will not be acquired and the industrial hub project will be cancelled.