The Madras High Court bench here ordered notice to the special district revenue officer (DRO) for land acquisition, Pudukottai, on a batch of four writ petitions filed by farmers from Kumaramangalam village, opposing the DRO’s proceedings to acquire their lands for laying a national highway.

In their writ petitions, the petitioners said that they were given land under the State government’s special scheme for the distribution of land to landless agricultural labourers in 2006.