Chennai, Sept 19:
The Tamil Nadu government has withdrawn the land acquisition notification issued for acquiring 22.16 hectares of land in Melma village for the expansion of the SIPCOT industrial park at Cheyyar in Tiruvannamalai district.
The notification had been issued for acquiring land in Melma village as part of the third phase of the SIPCOT industrial park. The proposed expansion had faced opposition from farmers and local groups.
The issue had also drawn political attention, with the TVK having earlier supported the farmers’ protests against the proposed expansion. After coming to power, however, the government issued a notification in July for acquiring the land, which led to criticism.
A notification published in the government gazette has now formally withdrawn the earlier land acquisition proposal covering 22.16 hectares in Melma village. The withdrawal was made based on the recommendation of the Tiruvannamalai district administration.