Dennis Selvan |

IN what is considered to be a `turf war' between State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Ltd (Sipcot) and the sons of the soil for control of the precious turf itself, the lure of lucre is at its core in the industrial vicinity of Sriperumbudur.

It is a war for the control of about 500 acres of land.

About 2,000 poor Dalit families of Vallakottai in Vallam revenue village close to Sriperumbudur are up in arms as a last resort to protect their Punjai (unlike Nanjai which is assured of enough water resources for cultivation) tracts of land, their only livelihood.

On the other hand, Sipcot insists that they will acquire only lands those identified as
dry land and which has also not been put to agricultural use for several years. The Sipcot has decided to acquire another 1,800 acre in this particular village of which about 500 to 600 acres are identified on the