Disbursement of compensation to farmers who have sustained crop losses during the samba season for want of water for irrigation began in the district on Sunday.
The State government has allotted Rs.33.70 crore for being disbursed as compensation to 24,542 farmers whose samba paddy crops were affected. Inaugurating the disbursement at Somarasampettai, N.R.Sivapathy, Minister for School Education, Law, Youth Welfare and Sports, said samba paddy in about 21,794 acres were affected in the district. About 1,518 farmers from Somarasampettai and three other revenue villages were being handed over compensation to the tune of Rs.1.38 crore. On Sunday, 65 farmers were handed over relief to the extent of Rs.6.69 lakhs.
Mr.Sivapathy pointed out that the Chief Minister had formed a committee under O.Panneerselvam, Finance Minister, to assess the crop damage in the delta districts and had sanctioned compensation based on the committee report despite severe financial strain faced by the State government. The Chief Minister, he observed, had succeeded in ensuring the notification of the final award of the Cauvery Tribunal after persistent efforts.
Collector Jayashree Muralidharan, R.Manoharan, MLA, and K.Rajendra Prasad, Joint Registrar of Cooperatives, were present.
