Cold storage facility for marigold, market price for land given for airport expansion prominent demands in Omalur constituency

Omalur constituency, situated 15 km away from Salem town, comprises Omalur Taluk, a portion of Kadayampatti Taluk, Karuppur, Kadayampatti, and Omalur town panchayats. This constituency is considered an AIADMK stronghold, as it has won eight times (1977, 1980, 1989 (AIADMK J), 1991, 2001, 2011, 2016, and 2021). The DMK has won twice (1967 and 1971), while the Congress (under the AIADMK alliance), Tamil Maanila Congress (under the DMK alliance), PMK (DMK alliance) and independent candidates have won once, respectively.

Omalur, the connecting point for Mecheri and Mettur from Salem, has over 65% of people involved in agriculture. Marigold is majorly cultivated in Deevattipatti, Poosaripatti, and Kadayampatti. Sugarcane is also cultivated in Omalur and its surrounding villages.

Residents demand construction of a bus stand at Omalur in a new location to ease traffic congestion. N. Subramani, a resident of Omalur, said the space at the bus stand is insufficient as more buses ply to Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Bengaluru, Mecheri, and Mettur via Omalur. “Heavy vehicles are passing via Omalur round the clock to reach the steel factory near Mecheri and the Mettur thermal plant,” he added.

S. Nachiyar, a resident of Omalur, demanded the TASMAC outlet near Omalur Bus Stand be shifted. Despite the market building constructed ten years ago, it remains unoccupied due to space constraints and issues faced by women traders due to persons visiting the TASMAC outlets, forcing them to sell on the roadside, he added.

The proposed yarn colouring park at Jahir Ammapalayam will affect 16 villages under Omalur, said Suseendra Kumar, a resident of Karuppur, and added that the project must be dropped.

Poor pricing of jaggery and unavailability of skilled labourers have reduced the number of jaggery manufacturing units in and around Karuppur from 500 to 100, Mr. Suseendra Kumar said and urged the government to fix a fair price and accommodate the workers under government welfare schemes.

C. Sukumar, a resident of Kamalapuram, said the government is trying to acquire 654 acres for the expansion of Salem airport out of which 520 acres come under agricultural lands. “The government should provide fair market price for the land, which is between ₹80 lakh and ₹1.50 crore or else people will demand to stop the project,” he added .

Ragu, a resident of Omalur, said hotels and commercial establishments are releasing sewage into River Sarabanga, which should be prohibited.

Nandha Kumar, a resident of Poosaripatti, recalled that during the 2021 Assembly elections, political parties promised that a scent factory would be established, which was not fulfilled.

A cold storage facility for marigold will be helpful for farmers, as the price of the flower reduces drastically during off-season, Mr. Kumar said and urged the government to take the required efforts.

Expecting a four-corner fight in this constituency this time, the AIADMK fielded sitting MLA R. Mani as its candidate, while DMDK fielded Elangovan in the DMK alliance. The TVK nominated Adhiyaman and NTK Sivasakthi as candidates.