Farmers representatives of the district have urged the State government to declare Tiruchi district as drought hit and sanction compensation for crop losses, including horticulture crops.
The farmers also demanded immediate and liberal sanction of crop loans by cooperative societies and banks as farmers have been facing a crisis owing to the drought conditions over the past three years.
Raising the issue at the Farmers Grievances meeting here on Tuesday, Ayilai Sivasuriyan, district secretary, Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, affiliated to the Communist Party of India, and C.Masilamani, district secretary, Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, affiliated to the CPI (Marxist), criticised the reported statement of the Revenue Minister asserting that there was no drought in the State.
“Farmers in Tiruchi district have been adversely affected due to the drought condition and do not have money to raise the samba crop now even though water has been released in the canals,” said Mr.Sivasuriyan.
R.Subramanian, deputy secretary, Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association, said farmers in the district have been severely affected owing to the drought conditions over the past three years. The entire state should be declared drought hit and all bank and cooperative crop loans should be waived.
P.Ayyakannu, State vice president, Bharathiya Kisan Sangam, said the drought was unprecedented and urged the government to sanction compensation for the damages to banana, coconut, mango, sugarcane, kora grass and paddy growers. All crop loans should be waived and banks should suspend distraint proceedings against defaulting farmers, he demanded.
He and Mr.Subramanian urged the State government to take steps to get Tamil Nadu’s due share of water in the Cauvery from Karnataka as per the final award of the Cauvery Disputes Tribunal. The current storage at the Mettur reservoir would not be enough to sustain the samba crop fully and many farmers entertained apprehensions over the possibility of inadequate supply, Mr.Ayyakannu said.
As water has been released in the canals, the district authorities should ensure adequate supply of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and sanction of crop loans, said A.Nagarajan of the Congress Farmers Wing. P.Viswanathan, president, Tamizhaga Eri and Attru Pasana Vivasayigal Sangam, urged the government to increase the procurement price of cotton and maize to Rs.7,500 and Rs.2,000 a quintal respectively.
A section of farmers led by Mr.Ayyakannu complained that the Kothari Sugars Limited was not paying the State Advised Price (SAP) for sugarcane. K.Tharpagaraj, District Revenue Officer, who was in the chair, pointed out that the District Collector has already issued stern warning in this regard and made it clear that sugar mills have to pay the SAP or face action. He advised the company representatives to adhere to the directive.
