Taking into account the unprecedented drought and monsoon failure, the State government will roll out on a war footing significant measures to ameliorate the sufferings of farmers in the delta region, Agriculture Minister R. Duraikannu said here on Saturday.
Successive crop failures and inadequate rainfall during the monsoon pushed delta farmers to the brink and their plight would now be documented to provide proper relief, Mr. Duraikannu said here on Saturday.
Speaking to the media during a high-level committee inspection to assess the crop loss, Mr. Duraikannu observed that sympathising with the suffering farmers, late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had implemented the kuruvai special package and later the samba package to help them raise crops. But unprecedented drought put paid to the hopes of the farmers who had raised samba and thalady paddy crop in vast sections of the delta region.
Senior officials indicated that a Cabinet meeting scheduled tentatively for Tuesday will study the reports being prepared from all districts regarding drought and crop loss and take a call on the measures to be adopted, including declaring certain pockets of the State drought-hit.
State to seek Centre’s help
Besides, the State will ask the Centre for supportive measures to deal with the situation. The Cabinet is also expected to discuss the issues of quantum of compensation, direction for crop insurance, granting solatium to those farmers who took their life and the way forward for the hapless farmers, sources said.
Besides Mr. Duraikannu, the team included Transport Commissioner Satyabrata Sahoo and District Collector A. Annadurai. The team including officials from various line departments visited Pudhupattinam, Vadapathi, Kokkeri, Mela Uloor, Sokkanavoor, Thamarankottai, Adirampattinam, Solaikkadu, Rudrachintamani, Eachankottai, Natham, Budalur and Kovilpathu to assess the crop loss and drought impact.
MPs K. Parasuraman and R. Vaithilingam, MLAs and farmers provided additional inputs on crop loss in specific localities.
