- Annamalai alleged that the proposed industrial estate was for the benefit of big corporates and the State government was colluding with them
NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, DEC 2
A day will come when farmers themselves will request to bring in the withdrawn farm laws to protect them from vested interests, said BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai on Thursday.
The Centre brought in the three farm laws for the benefit of the farmers, but the drama enacted by various opposition parties, including the DMK, in Tamil Nadu, and some vested interests forced the ryots to turn against the government and the laws, he said. This made Prime Minister Narendra Modi withdraw the laws, the BJP State president told reporters at Annur near here.
Annamalai was at Annur to lodge the BJP’s protest against the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to acquire 3,800 acres of fertile land in six villages there and Mettupalayam to set up an industrial estate.
Almost all the farmers and their associations opposed the move and indulged in agitation urging the administration to scrap the project, he said.
Stating that contract farming is already existing by which egg, turmeric and other farm items were produced, Annamalai alleged that the proposed industrial estate was for the benefit of big corporates and the State government was colluding with them.
The reason for starting the project was the abundant availability of water through the Avanashi Athikadavu Water project, 70 per cent of which was utilised for farmland, he said.
Assuring the farmers that the BJP would exert pressure on the State government for scrapping the project, he said if the party failed, it would approach the Centre.
The AIADMK also has opposed the project, he said adding that he has had a discussion in this regard with former minister S P Velumani early this morning.
