Cong submits charter of demands on land for Tata plant

Chennai, Sep 4 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) today submitted a ten-point charter of recommendations to Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on the proposed titanium dioxide plant of Tatas in Tuticorin and Tirunelveli districts.

TNCC president M Krishnaswamy handed over the fact-finding report of public hearing conducted by the party on August 13 to the Chief Minister.

The Congress team visited the villages where the plant was scheduled to come up to elicit the views of the public.

Mr Krishnaswamy was accompanied by CLP leader D Sudarsanam, MLAs D Yasodha, Peter Alphonse, H Vasanth Kumar and Rani Venkatesan during his meeting with Mr Karunanidhi at his residence.

A Congress press release said only a few land owners and others getting steady revenue from over 10,000 acres were opposed to the project as they had to handover their ancestral property which has been providing them a steady source of income for decades.

The ten recommendations included adequate compensation on the basis of market rates, which should not be less than Rs two lakh per acre and compulsory job for at least one single member of a family surrendering the land.

The report said memorials and places of religious worships should not be disturbed while implementing the project.

The study said authorities should refrain from acquiring land within a kilometer from residential quarters and prohibit sand mining within a radius of 500 metres of drinking water sources.

Meanwhile, reports said that the Tata group has commenced the land acquisition works for the project.

UNI