On a hot morning, there was an unusual bustle around the temple at Velingirayanpettai village in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu. There were around 50 people gathered under a tree outside the temple. A kilometre or two down the road were vanloads of policemen clustered around a canopy. People from neighbouring villages were trickling into the beachside venue for a public hearing on a Rs 300 crore ship building yard in Silambaimangalam on July 15. The project proponent, Goodearth, had got the requisite clearances in 2006 and acquired land as well. However due to financial problems, the project had been stalled till now.
Livelihood concerns