Farmers from three panchayats in Nagapattinam district are still waiting for compensation from Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (CPCL) for land acquired in 2020, despite repeated assurances from the authorities concerned.
In early May, farmers and residents from Panangudi, Narimanam, and Gopurajapuram launched a hunger strike, demanding restoration and rehabilitation (R&R) relief for 642 acres of farmland acquired by CPCL for its expansion project. The 11-day strike was called off in the second week of May after district officials held a meeting and promised to resolve the compensation issue. However, farmers and landowners are frustrated over delays and inconsistencies in the compensation process.
While about 2,000 agricultural labourers and tenant farmers have been covered under the restoration and rehabilitation process, landowners have been left out.
A. Sakthivel, Secretary of the Petroleum Corporation Ltd. Land Acquisition Owner and Farmers Rehabilitation Welfare Association, said the price for land acquired through private negotiation was fixed at ₹5 lakh an acre while owners of land acquired under the legal process were offered significantly less. He urged the district administration to honour the commitments made in the R&R draft and ensure that all affected landowners receive the promised ₹5 lakh an acre.
“As per the R&R Act, we have submitted the proposal for 2,000 labourers and it is being processed. We expect the compensation to be cleared within the next three months. The demands of landowner farmers will be considered,” official sources from the Revenue Department told The Hindu.
