Farmers owing allegiance to the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) on Saturday took out a rally and staged a demonstration near the Legislative Assembly in protest against the Union government’s failure to mitigate the problems arising out of drought.
Led by S. Padmanabhan, president of the Puducherry unit of AIKS, the farmers took out a rally from the new bus stand to the Legislative Assembly. However, they were blocked en route by the police.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the Union government over failing to take up drought mitigation measures, he said that the Centre is doing nothing to solve the crisis and help the suffering farmers.
Though a Central team had visited the drought affected areas in the Puducherry and Karaikal regions, the Centre had not released drought assistance for the farmers in the Union Territory.
The elected Ministry and Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi had also failed to get the drought assistance from the Centre and instead were engaged in a turf over.
The management of the Government Cooperative Sugar Mills at Lingareddypaayam is yet to make payment to the tune of ₹13.3 crore to farmers who had supplied cane for the previous crushing season.
‘Unable to take loans’
Many farmers were not able to avail themselves of fresh crop loans as the management had not paid interest to the banks concerned.
The government is doing nothing to solve the crisis, he said.
They demanded the Union government to sanction adequate drought relief to the affected farmers. The protesters wanted compensation of ₹ 30,000 per acre for paddy farmers and ₹50,000 per acre for sugarcane farmers to tide over the crisis.
