Farmers who spoke at the monthly Farmers Grievances Day meeting here on Friday, urged the district administration to take steps for dredging the supply channels and irrigational sources during the summer for ensuring irrigational facility during the onset of monsoon. They wanted prompt procurement of milk from all the members of the cooperative societies.
R. Subramaniam, deputy secretary of the Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association, said the Kattalai Mettu Vaikkal stretch should be dredged so that the tailend fields in Koppu, Ettarai, Puliyur, Thayanur, Pallakadu, and Advathur would get adequate irrigational facility.
Mr. Subramaniam wanted proper repair and maintenance of old sluices and shutters particularly between Mayanur and Thayanur. Dredging should be taken up to a distance of 30 km from Valayapatti to Panickampatti villages.
P. Viswanathan, state president of Tamizhaga Eri Matrum Attrupasana Vivasayigal Sangam, wanted works on dredging tanks and other irrigation sources should be expedited.
A cross-section of farmers wanted prompt procurement of milk by the cooperative societies.
N. Ganesan, District secretary of the Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam, said that although the current summer showers had resulted in the increase in milk yield, the holiday for milk societies had come as a bottleneck in the profitability of these primary bodies. Further, procurement should not be effected from non-members of societies. The ‘Aavin’ sales booths should not market private milk sachets, he said.
P. Ayyakannu, state president of Desiya Thenninthiya Nadhigal Inaippu Vivasayigal Sangam and Mr. Viswanathan, who supported this view, said Aavin should purchase milk from all its members. They said that the Aavin at times advised the primary societies to focus on local sales in the villages.
A. Nagarajan, president of Farmers Wing of the Tamil Maanila Congress, wanted the price for paddy seeds to be increased from the present Rs. 24 to Rs. 75. He said the farmers raising paddy for seeds toiled hard only to get a less price.
R. Raja Chidambaram, state secretary of the Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam, pleaded for updating the land records at taluk offices which was consistent with the village records.
C. Masilamani, district president of the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, wanted ‘patta’ to be assigned to the beneficiaries of free housing sites. Although the sites had been assigned decades ago, the ‘patta’ was yet to be issued to them.
Collector K.S. Palanisamy, who presided over the meeting, said that a survey would be taken up for ascertaining the damage caused to banana in the recent strong winds.
