Tamilaga Eri Matrum Aatrupasana Vivasayigal Sangham has urged the State government to provide power connections to two lakh farmers waiting for the same for the past 10 years and ensure uninterrupted power supply for agriculture for 14 hours a day.
This was one of the major resolutions passed at a seminar organised by the association, P. Viswanathan, its State president, told presspersons here on Saturday.
The meeting, while appealing to the State government to get 205 thousand million cubic feet of water from Karnataka for delta irrigation, pleaded that the government should ensure samba cultivation at any cost.
Besides, it sought Rs.1,750 as the procurement price for a quintal of paddy, Rs.3,000 a tonne of sugarcane, and Rs.75 a kilogram of cotton.
As kuruvai crop could not be raised, a large number of farmers have suffered heavy losses.
Hence, the government should see to it that loans obtained by farmers from nationalised banks and cooperative banks were written off.
With specific reference to Tiruchi district, Mr. Viswanathan said all the encroachments in the channels and tanks should be removed and all water sources should be cleared of silt and their bunds strengthened. For this the Collector should initiate appropriate steps.
The association wanted the government to prevent water from Kollidam going waste and sought a barrage across the river. This would help improve groundwater in the region and prove immensely beneficial to the farming community.
Pointing out that more than 3,000 acres at Palinganatham, Channavur, Korathakudi and Anganur village in Thirumanur panchayat union of Ariyalur district could not be brought under cultivation because of non-availability of water, it pleaded for forming a left bank canal under the Pullampadi Canal Project to benefit these lands.
Besides, if Pudukottai farmers’ long-felt demand of the Cauvery-Gundaru link project were to be implemented, it could benefit as much as 30,000 acres of paddy, banana, and sugarcane. Also the Gundaru should be cleared of silt and its bunds strengthened.
Mr. Viswanathan said whenever there are floods water flowing into Periya Visvakudi Eri gets wasted. The proposed Visvakudi reservoir scheme gets delayed whenever there is change in government.
If the reservoir project were to be completed, it could benefit at least 3,000 acres in that region.
