Residents of Adhigaratty panchayat in Udhagamandalam have written to the executive officer of the local body, urging the government to acquire lands belonging to private individuals near the Kattery Dam and lease them to local farmers.
S. Subramani, councillor of Ward 7 in Adhigaratty town panchayat, said that a number of villages surrounded the dam, with local residents, primarily small farmers, leasing land from private owners of the land at a cost of ₹ 1.5 lakh per acre for growing crops. He urged the local panchayat to acquire the lands from the private individuals, so that the government can in turn lease the lands to the small farmers for a fee. “This will also benefit the government in the form of revenue from the small farmers, and also protect the interests of the farmers, while also ensuring that the ecology of the area is unaffected,” he said.
Mr. Subramani also urged the government to look into demands from the public of the villages to sanction a 3-foot walking path.
