Farmer complains of threats to vacate farmland near Nilakottai in Dindigul

Farmer Chinnapandi petitions Collector Poongodi, claiming people are threatening to evict five families from farmland they've cultivated for three generations. Land is six acres of Government poromboke and supports 200 drumstick trees, 10 coconut palms. Selvam and Ravi claim rights to stone quarry, but Tahsildar says no quarrying allowed. Despite peace meeting, threats continue.

A 37-year-old farmer, K. Chinnapandi of Kunnathupatti under Nilakottai Taluk, on Monday said that some people were issuing threats in order to evict some five families from a farmland where they were cultivating crops for three generations.

In his petition to the Collector M.N. Poongodi, he said they claimed that they had taken tender for quarrying stones. “We have been cultivating various crops, including onion, maize, millets and sunflower for the last three generations. Even I have been involved in making the arid land fertile for years.”

The families were dependent on the six acres of Government poromboke land for their livelihood. Even now, around 200 drumstick trees and 10 coconut palms were being maintained on the land, he added.

When one Selvam asked them to vacate in 2021 claiming that he had got the rights to take up stone quarrying on the land, the families approached officials of various departments. The Tahsildar, after inspection, said that no stone quarry was permitted on the land. However, again another person named Ravi made a similar claim and wanted them to vacate the land.

Even after a peace meeting held by the Nilakottai Tahsildar, some people were threatening them, the farmer said in his petition..