PMK youth wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Sunday said not an inch of land would be given to NLC India Ltd. (NLCIL) for its proposed Mines I and II expansion and Mines III project.
Addressing a meeting at Siruvarappur village after ascertaining the view of a section of landowners and farmers whose lands could be acquired for the project, Dr. Ramadoss said the NLCIL had planned to acquire over 25,000 acres of land from 49 villages in Cuddalore district for its expansion and new projects.
Pointing out that the Public Sector Undertaking had acquired 36,000 acres of land when it commenced operations in Neyveli in 1956, he said the NLCIL could make use of the existing lands. The existing reserves in Neyveli would last over 30 years. Hence, no new land was required for their expansion, he said.
Dr. Ramadoss claimed that Cuddalore district’s land and environmental degradation started after the NLCIL set foot in the district. “The PSU snatched around 36,000 acres of land from landowners in 44 villages and sucked the groundwater out for its projects. The district’s artesian wells from which water naturally reached the ground depleted. The depth in groundwater levels has seen a steep decrease from eight feet 40 years ago to 800-1,200 feet now,” he said.
NLCIL’s total net worth had now touched ₹54,000 crore and the PSU was raking in profits of ₹11,500 crore annually. “But what has NLCIL done for the people of the district,? he asked.
While the PSU gave tall assurances to people who gave away their lands for its projects, the promises remained unfulfilled. The PSU was yet to implement the Supreme Court directive on regularisation of contract workmen, Dr. Ramadoss said.
While the NLCIL was based in the State and continued to acquire land for its upcoming projects, a large number of permanent employees in the PSU were recruited from Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. People of the State, particularly those from the district, continued to be let down by the NLCIL, he charged.
‘”While the PMK is for development, it should not be at the cost of agriculture. We are not ready to believe the promises made by the NLCIL anymore. The company could close its operations in the district and leave,” he said.
People displaced by the NLCIL in the past were neither duly compensated nor their family members given jobs. Although the NLCIL was generating a revenue of ₹11,500 crore a year, people in the surrounding villages who gave up their lands were left high and dry.
The presence of two thermal power plants had also resulted in deterioration of the air quality in the district and a large number of people were affected by asthma and other health problems after inhaling the polluted air, he said.
Dr. Ramadoss said the NLCIL would not be allowed to acquire lands for its projects and the undertaking could close its operations in the district and move to another State. “People are not ready to believe NLCIL’s promises again. We are not ready to lose our cultural identity and our lands,” he said.
