The farmers of the villages in Veerapandi area staged a walkout from the public hearing on Salem – Chennai green corridor project organised by the revenue department authorities expressing their opposition to the proposal.
Sundararaj, Salem south tahsildar, explained the salient features of the eight-lane road project proposed at a cost of ₹ 10,000 crore.
The farmers led by S. K. Selvam, former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MLA and secretary of the rural district unit of the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), said that the green corridor project will in no way benefit the local people. They demanded the authorities to explain for whose benefit the project was being executed.
Stating that the revenue officials could not give proper response to their querries, they staged a walkout from the meeting.
Later, Mr. Selvam told presspersons that the government was not transparent on the execution of the project. The official machinery was involved in intimidating the farmers using police to prevent them from taking part in the public hearing. He said that the farmers were not prepared to give their fertile lands for the project.
The farmers of Perumapalayam and Naazhikkalpatti participated in the public hearing held in Salem talk office on Tuesday, when the officials explained the compensation fixed for the lands and other properties acquired, other benefits announced by the government to them.
Another meeting to discuss the issue of expanding the Salem airport expansion project with the residents of the Thumbipadi village was held in Kaadayampatti taluk office. R. Sukumar, District Revenue Officer, presided over the meeting.