The Tamil Nadu government intended to acquire land for the expansion of SIPCOT in Tiruvannamalai district only because it wanted to provide employment to the educated youth, Minister for Public Works E.V. Velu said in the Assembly on Wednesday.
The people in the area were “instigated” by some individuals to protest against land acquisition by the State government, he said. Of the nine villages, people in seven came forward to part with their lands, but those only in two were against it, he said.
Responding to the concerns raised by Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami over the arrest and detention of farmers under the Goondas Act for protesting against land acquisition, Mr. Velu said those arrested by the police were in fact did not own even a cent of land in that district.
