Members of the Desiya Thennidia Nadigal Inaippu Vivasayigal Sangam staged a demonstration near the Head Post Office in the city on Tuesday condemning “the delay” in sanction of drought relief by the Union government to the State.
Members of the organisation, who came in a procession from the Railway Junction, staged the protest in front of the Head Post Office urging the Centre to sanction the drought relief sought by the State government immediately.
Pointing out to the farmers suicides and deaths due to shock over crop failure, P. Ayyakannu, president of the association, demanded that farmers should be sanctioned a compensation of Rs. 30,000 an acre for paddy, Rs. 25,000 an acre for rainfed crops and Rs. 1 lakh an acre for cash crops such as sugarcane and banana. Agricultural labourers should also be compensated.
He also demanded that all crop loans, including those of nationalised banks, be waived. The Centre should take steps to implement the proposal on inter-linking of rivers and ensure remunerative prices for farm produces, he said.
If no action was taken on their demands, the association members would stage an agitation in Chennai on February 7 and in New Delhi on March 12, he said.
