Parties miffed over SC nod for Salem-Chennai expressway

Parties miffed over SC nod for Salem-Chennai expressway

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:09.12.2020

The DMK and the PMK have expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court verdict that has come in favour of the₹10,000 crore Salem – Chennai expressway project. They urged the state government to drop the project.

In a statement DMK president M K Stalin said the SC verdict, in favour of the expressway, has come on a day when farmers are holding protests to safeguard their livelihood. It is disappointing to both farmers as well as environmental activists. “The failure of the AIADMK government to put forth its views strongly to protect the livelihood of farmers and the determination with which the Centre argued about implementing the project are the two main reasons for such a verdict,” Stalin said.

“The two parties, which are together, in working against the interests of the farmers in the name of development may have succeeded in their plans in the Supreme Court. But the people’s court is sure to give them a fitting verdict,” Stalin said. “The farmers, who opposed the project, were subjected brutal police atrocities for the sake of the rulers’ gain from implementing the expressway. Will chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami at least now come out in support of the farmers,” Stalin asked.

Reminding the CM that he cannot escape responsibility by stating it is a project being implemented by the Centre, Stalin asked Palaniswami to drop the project.

Expressing disappointment over the verdict, PMK youth wing president Anbumani Ramadoss, who was one of the petitioners against the project, urged the state to withdraw the project. Since there are two national highways connecting Chennai and Salem cities via Ulundurpet and Vellore-Krishnagiri and a third NH being laid via Tindivanam-Krishnagiri, the fourth road project connecting the two cities is unnecessary. “This was the stand of our party,” Anbumani said in a statement. PMK is an ally of BJP-AIADMK in TN. More than 10,000 families of farmers would lose their livelihood as the state would acquire around 7,000 acres of land for the 2,77.3km road project, he said.

Meanwhile in Salem, farmers vowed to continue to protest. “Farmers in Salem, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Tiruvannamalai and Kancheepuram will continue to protest until the project is withdrawn. We will not allow the project to be implemented,” P Mohanasundaram, a farmer, said.

As farmers continue protest, DMK and PMK criticise expressway project terming, it unnecessary and anti-farmer