Stalin Stands By Fishermen On New Secretariat Controversy
The government should listen to the cries of the fishermen and immediately withdraw its order: M K Stalin
CHENNAI: Condemning what he called the arbitrary decision of the TVK government to set up a new secretariat building in Pattinapakkam, which would destroy the habitat and livelihood of the fishermen former Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin extended full support to the protests against it and vowed to stand by the fishing community until the government gives up its plans.
After meeting representatives of the fishermen associations, who called on him at Anna Arivalayam on Wednesday, Stalin said destroying the livelihood of thousands of fishermen for the sake of one person's desire and inconveniencing the public and students through traffic congestion that the Secretariat would cause in the area surrounded by schools were unacceptable.
A total of 12 residential areas like the fishing villages of Mullikuppam and Srinivasapuram in the south of the site, Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Bhavani Kuppam, Uridyapuram , Selvaraj Puram , Doomil Kuppam , Nochchi Nagar , Nochchikuppam within one km would be affected by the project, he said.
The government should listen to the cries of the fishermen and immediately withdraw its order and openly announce that he was abandoning the decision to set up the Secretariat in Pattinapakkam, where houses for fishermen should be built.