Chennai: Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) President and former Union Minister, Anbumani Ramadoss, will embark on a two-day padayatra from Saturday against the National Lignite Corporation’s (NLC) move to acquire 25,000 acres of agricultural land for its mining expansion programme.
The PMK leader in a statement on Friday said that he was embarking on a padayatra on January 7-8 against the NLC Company’s move to acquire 25,000 agricultural lands for mining purposes.
He said that the campaign was intended to create awareness among the people in Cuddalore district on the pitfalls of the acquisition. The padayatra will commence from Vanadhirayapuram on Saturday morning and will pass through Thenkuthu, Gangai Kondan, North Vellore, Thoppil Kuppam, Athandarkollai, Rangamadevi and end at Karivettil village on January 8 evening.
Ramadoss said that the NLC was acquiring 3,000 acres of agricultural land from nine villages for the expansion of its first mine and 10,000 acres of land from 25 villages for the expansion of its second mine and 12,125 acres of land in 26 villages for the third mine.
The former Union Health minister, who is also a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), said that the NLC company was trying to acquire the land using the support of the Cuddalore district administration.
He further said that even after acquiring 10,000 acres of agricultural land in 1987, the setting up of a second mine did not happen for the past 35 years and even then the NLC was in the process of acquiring agricultural land for farmers creating great difficulties.
He added that if 25,000 acres of land was acquired, it would affect the livelihood of 17,000 families.
–IANS
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