The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Gear up for big struggle, Ramadoss tells farmers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 18, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Gear up for big struggle, Ramadoss tells farmers

S. Ganesan

“Governments have failed to solve problems plaguing agriculture sector”

TIRUCHI: Farmers should gear themselves up for a big struggle as Central and State governments have failed to solve the problems plaguing the agriculture sector, said S. Ramadoss, founder, Pattali Makkal Katchi, here on Sunday.

The agriculture sector was facing a major crisis and without overcoming it, the country could not hope to achieve growth.

“Nobody, including the State and Central governments, is prepared to come forward to solve the problems faced by you. Farmers’ organisations should come together to make their voice heard,” he told a consultative meeting with sugarcane growers of the region.

The meeting was organised under the auspices of the Tamil Nadu Uzhavar Periyakkam, which was founded by the PMK leader.

The State Agriculture Minister should hold meetings with farmers representatives every month to redress their grievances and the Chief Minister should convene similar meetings at least twice a year. “I have also suggested to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the Union Finance and Agriculture Ministers visit the States to hold discussions with farmers’ representatives to solve their problems,” he said.

The loan waiver announced by the Centre was just an immediate relief and the deeper malaise afflicting the sector needed to be addressed.

Without stopping with free power supply, the State government should provide seeds and fertilizers free of cost to farmers for one or two years.

Farmers should also be given subsidy for taking to organic farming. The State government should promote mechanisation by making farm equipments available at the village level, he said.

PMK president G.K.Mani spoke.

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

Tamil Nadu