Revenue officials overseeing the Salem-Chennai eight-lane green corridor project have acknowledged that they do not have details of farmers who are supporting the project.
The project’s Special District Revenue Officer (land acquisition) M.G. Kumaravel, in a response to a questionnaire sent by N. Ramasamy, a farmer of Poolavari panchayat in Salem, under the Right to Information Act, said the government did not have information.
Mr. Ramasamy had filed the application under the RTI Act after Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami reportedly said that most of the farmers were supporting the project. He sought details of the “pro-project” farmers with the survey numbers of their land.
‘No farmers harassed’
The Special DRO, based in Salem, denied that farmers were harassed [last year] while carrying out measures for land acquisition in Salem district as per the directions of the Madras High Court. Police personnel were “used for providing security” to revenue officials and were “not involved” in the land acquisition process, the officer added. As for the compensation to be given to the affected persons, the Special DRO reiterated that payment would be made as per the Right of Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition and Resettlement Act of 2013.
With respect to the loss of coconut trees, the Agriculture Department’s estimates would be obtained and incorporated in the final award.