The Hindu : No food for work, ryots desert villages

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 07, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

No food for work, ryots desert villages

By Our Tamil Nadu Bureau

Chennai APRIL 6. Hundreds of farmers in drought-hit districts are deserting their villages in a desperate hunt for work in neighbouring States, as the Government's food-for-work programme remains a non-starter in several pockets.

While the State Government claims that the programme and free supply of rice was reaching out to every need farmer in the districts, several villages present a miserable picture of famished farmers, deserted homes, increasing migration and few development works.

Take Dindigul district, for example: The much-publicised food-for-work scheme, under which farmers are involved in local development works for wages and food, is yet to reach many in Gujilamparai, Vedasanthur and Eriyode blocks, where farmers have migrated to Kerala to work in brick kilns for survival. And, the villages, which received this programme, too did not benefit much, as many works were completed using massive earth moving equipment. A tank rehabilitation work in Karikali last year, which required employing 100 labourers, was completed in just four days with the machineries.

Rajalingam, farmer of Karikali village, says he was forced to sell his buffalo and calf for a meagre Rs. 3,000, owing to an acute shortage of cattle feed. Steep hike in fodder cost and shortage of fodder supply have made cattle rearing a difficult job. Already, sugarcane raised by him turned dry and he incurred a loss of Rs.75,000.

In most districts, the drought, has wiped out agriculture and cattle and goat rearing, the only alternative for survival. Farmers, who shifted to drumstick, a highly heat-tolerant crop, too are hit by sharp slump in prices. Now, drumstick is selling for even Re.1 per kg, which will not even meet their expense of plucking them.

Inadequate information

In the delta district of Thanjavur, farmers and farm labourers have not turned up in large numbers for food-for-work programme, largely because of poor information flow. The result: farmers migrate to other States or cities and towns in Tamil Nadu.

According to Kannan, president, Vendayampatti village panchayat in Budalur panchayat union, nearly 100 youth have migrated to Tirupur for work. "Youth from delta districts are ready to work a full day for as less as Rs. 15 or Rs.20 as against Rs. 30 they demanded earlier," he says. Migration of farmers is more acute from Budalur and some areas of Thanjavur panchayat union, as these upper reaches irrigated by Uyyakondan canal and Kattalai kalvai have not received water this time for the whole year.

In Thanjavur, Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur, which account for 10 lakh farm labourers, the Public Works Department has allotted Rs. 21 crores for desiliting works. But, farmers' associations allege that ruling partymen were drawing up the list of the beneficiaries. The Tamil Nadu Vivasaya Thozhilalar Sangam secretary, Mutharasan, claimed that departments barring the PWD had not begun any work yet. Nomination of contracts was done on party basis, he alleged, urging the Government to set up village committees to identify the beneficiaries and overseeing the works.

Turning to ganja

The side-effects of drought are far too dangerous in the southern districts. In Virudhunagar district, small landholders are falling prey to anti-social elements. After getting land on lease from small farmers, anti-social elements are stealthily cultivating ganja on the pretext of growing medicinal plants.

At a recent public hearing on the impact of the drought in Virudhunagar, women rued that though the Government provided free rice, they were forced to migrate to cities, because they had no wherewithal to buy other essentials. In the past, only male farmers would leave the villages in search of work. But, now women and children too join the migrating men. In Arupukottai belt, several agricultural labourers have moved to Coimbatore and Tirupur and Kerala.

As for Dharmapuri, the ever-dry district, migration is not a new phenomenon. Plagued by perennial drought, the situation in the district has only gone from bad to worse. In the past, they migrated to Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Now, they go to Mumbai and Chandigarh, say farmers.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

High Court stays QMC demolition

`Save QMC' movement draws huge support

It's time DMK decided on quitting NDA: Bardhan

No food for work, ryots desert villages

Nationwide bandh against `pernicious' economic policies

STF men get training in `slithering' operation

Veeranam dry despite monsoon rain: Congress