Relief only for Noyyal Ayacutdars

CHENNAI: Members of the Noyyal River Ayacutdars Protection Association, numbering 535, alone are entitled for the total compensation amount of Rs 75 crore sanctioned by the government in December last year, the TN Pollution Control Board has stated in its counter-affidavit filed in the Madras High Court, last week.The counter was filed in response to a public interest writ petition from M Ramasamy of Valayapalayam village in Karur district. The PIL sought to quash the December 31, 2011, orders of the Environment and Forests Department as it ordered payment of compensation to the members of the Noyyal River Ayacutdars Association alone and consequently prayed for a direction to the association to recover the amount paid to its members and distribute the same to all the affected farmers.Following a High Court order dated December 22, 2006, the Environment Department issued the December 31 GO sanctioning an interest bearing advance of `75 crore to the TNPCB for payment to the members of the Ayacutdars Association. The order said that the amount should be distributed on per acre basis uniformly to all the members since the water quality test reports of the association were already furnished to the High Court and the Loss of Ecology (Prevention and Payments of Compensation) Authority of the government showed high levels of damage.The TNPCB distributed the amount to the association members in January this year. At best, the other farmers, affected by the same river, could approach the government for compensation with necessary proof, the counter added.Justice Elipe Dharma Rao and Justice M Venugopal adjourned further hearing by three weeks.