Urging the Union government to waive crop loans extended to farmers by nationalised banks, a group of agriculturists affiliated to the Association of Farmers for Linking of South Indian Rivers submitted a petition to Collector M. Karunakaran here on Monday.
Led by its president A.A. Senthil Kumarasamy, the petitioners said the farmers had either suffered unprecedented crop loss or could not commence the farming operations in the ‘pisanam’ season owing to monsoon failure. Hence, the government, besides giving a compensation of ₹30,000 per acre, should waive all crop loans given to the agriculturists by nationalised banks.
The State and the Central governments should prepare a comprehensive and standard procedure for the disbursal of compensation to farmers during drought-like situations and heavy deluge. Monthly assistance should be given to all small and marginal farmers and farmhands, who crossed 60 years of age.
While expanding the Karuppanadhi irrigation system, the Keeriyar project should be revived and executed soon for the benefit of northern Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Virudhunagar district farmers. Since the agriculturists were not in a position to spend huge sum for removing the ‘seemai karuvelam’ grown on their lands, the government should complete the exercise for the benefit of the farmers.
Cremation ground
A group of residents from Soundarapandiapuram near Radhapuram submitted a petition seeking the Collector’s intervention for assigning an access road to the cremation ground. The petitioners said a group of people were erecting a fence across the path leading to the cremation ground and hence the Collector should instruct his subordinates to inspect the spot and ensure permanent assigning of the route as cremation ground access path, they prayed.
Another group of villagers from Nanjankulam under Manur union submitted a petition seeking the revival of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme in their area.
