The 166-day-long wait-in protest of farmers opposing land acquisition for SIPCOT was called off after assurance from the revenue administration that farmlands will not be acquired.
The protests by farmers of Nagamangalam, Udhanapalli and Ayarnapalli formally ended on Monday after Shoolagiri tahsildar Paneerselvi handed out fruit juice to the protesters, who were on relay hunger strike.
Speaking to The Hindu, the tahsildar said, as of now, GMR Group’s patta lands in the three panchayats extending to over 700 acres is being proposed to be taken for the SIPCOT.
The government’s proposal to acquire lands for SIPCOT Phase V in the three panchayats where cultivation of horticultural crops was primarily carried out ran into trouble with farmers objecting to the project. The farmers had demanded that the government use lands in blocks that did not have vast horticulture farming instead of Shoolagiri and surrounding villages.
“Over the last 166 days, the administration was holding various levels of peace talks with the protesters and various demands were passed on to the government. As of now, GMR group has willingly offered their lands for acquisition. Farmlands will be left out and the landowners demands are being conveyed to the government,” Ms. Paneerselvi said. The wait-in-protest was called off in the presence of Hosur Mayor S.A. Sathya and MLA Y. Prakash.