200 farmers protest SIPCOT industrial estate plan

Madurai, Feb 22 (PTI) About 200 farmers, led by theCPI(M) MLA Balabharathi, were arrested today for picketing theTirumangalam taluk office near here to protest against theSIPCOT industrial estate coming up in the district.

The protestors, who belonged to the villages ofSivarakottai, Karisalpatti and Swamy Mallampatti, where theestate is scheduled to come up, said more than 5,000 farmersin the area were dependent on farm land for their livelihood.

Though dry land was available in the nearby area theofficials were acquiring wet and cultivable lands, theyalleged.

Earlier, the farmers reached the Taluk office in aprocession. As they refused to stop the picketing, they werearrested.