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Coimbatore: Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam (DMK) has petitioned Tirupur District Collector K S Palanisamy against setting up of an iron ore mine near Vellakoil in the district. The petition said a private company Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited (KIOCL) was planning to extract iron ore from the agricultural lands at Vellakoil near Kangeyam in Tirupur district.

Vasudha Chandra, an official from KIOCL, surveyed the land without any intimation to the farmers, residents and even government officials. It was said the company would begin fully-fledged mining from December, the petition said.

Residents and farmers of Vellakoil along with former DMK Minister M P Swaminathan gathered at the Collectorate on Monday and submitted a petition to stop the move.

Collector K S Palanisamy said KIOCL should get the approval from Department of Minerals and Mines for mining. KIOCL would not begin mining without the proper approval from the government. The company had surveyed the land without any approval or prior information, he added.