Annur folk step up protest against industrial park

Coimbatore: Residents of 15 villages under six panchayats of Annur established a struggle committee office at each village on Wednesday as part of the ongoing agitation against the proposed State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT)’s industrial park in their villages.
In November, the state government issued a GO approving the acquisition of 3,731.6 acres for the park in six panchayats in Annur and two panchayats in Mettupalayam taluk. Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) officials have completed the land survey for the project in these villages.
Residents of Akkaraisengapalli, Kunnipalayam, Pachakavundanpalayam, Ilakkopalayam, Selambarakavundampudur, and 10 other villages will run the offices and check details of every outsiders entering the villages, said Kumara Ravikumar, president of the Namadhu Nilam Namadhey (our land is ours) movement.
“Villagers will permit outsiders only after collecting their personal details including the purpose of the visit,” said Ravikumar.
The movement’s secretary A V Raja said they refrained from participating in all three talks organised by the district administration, to register their opposition against the establishment of the industrial park. “We urged the government to consider the demands of villagers and tried to stop it from publishing the GO, but in vain.”
The movement organisers will conduct random checks of struggle committee offices to ensure smooth functioning of them.
Earlier on December 5, a group of villagers took out a protest march from Annur to Coimbatore, demanding the state government to scrap the proposal to establish the industrial park in their villages.