Updated on Friday, July 27, 2007, 00:00 IST

Chennai, July 27: After having a rough ride on its Singur small car project in West Bengal, the Tata Group is now facing stiff opposition in Tamil Nadu to the Rs 2,500-crore titanium-di-oxide project proposed to be set up in southern districts of Tirunelveli and Tuticorin.

Expressing apprehension that the corporate giant's venture would displace them from their native land and deprive them of their livelihood, local villagers, mostly belonging to the dominant Nadar community in the south, have resolved to oppose the project tooth and nail.

The issue is set to snowball into a major controversy, similar to the Nandigram row, with some political parties, apparently eyeing the Nadar votebank, also "taking up the cause."

PMK founder S Ramadoss, a ruling DMK ally who is trying to get a foothold in south Tamil Nadu, has also reportedly expressed support to the agitating groups.

A Viyanarasu, who has formed a struggle committee called Federation for Tamil Land Protection, told a news agency that about 40,000 families would be displaced as the Tata company is planning to set up the plant on 12,000 acres of land.

"The government is talking about employment and economic growth. But take the cases of Koodangulam nuclear plant and Neyveli Lignite Corporation. Jobs and rehabilitation were promised when those projects were implemented but most of the displaced families were left in the lurch. What is the guarantee that a private company will honour its word,?" he asked.

Though Tata Steel originally inked a pact with the previous AIADMK government in 2002, the project did not take off due to undisclosed reasons.

Bureau Report