About 550 cadres of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam and Thamizh Maanila Vivasaya Thozhilalargal Sangam were arrested on Monday when they resorted to road blockades at 44 places across Tiruvarur district demanding compensation for crop losses to all farmers without any discrimination.
They also demanded relief for agricultural labourers.
The agitators alleged that all affected farmers were not covered in the statistics provided by the district administration for getting Rs 15,000 per acre as compensation for more than 50 per cent crop loss. Many farmers were left out. All farmers should be given relief based on the extent of damage, they demanded.
At Tiruvarur, the agitation was led by P.S.Masilamani, district secretary of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam and Mutharasan, State general secretary of Thamizh Maanila Vivasaya Thozhilalargal Sangam.
Ulaganathan, Thiruthuraipoondi MLA, led the agitation at Muthupettai and G.Palanisamy, Padmavathi, V.Sivapunniyam, former MLAs, at Nannilam, Kodavasal and Mannargudi respectively. The road blockades were staged at four places in Mannargudi.
In Tiruvarur district, more than fifty per cent crop loss was reported on 93,677 acres as per the statistics given by the district administration and a sum of Rs 140.42 crore is being distributed as relief.
Minister flayed
At Thanjavur, farmers staged a demonstration at the Collectorate, alleging that statistics provided by the district administration did not cover all farmers and many areas in Orathanadu, Papanasam, Thiruvidaimaruthur were left out.
The Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, affiliated to the CPI(M), demanded an apology from R.Vaithilingam, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, for allegedly making remarks against farmers at a government function to disburse compensation to them for crop losses in Thanjavur on Sunday.
The Minister allegedly found fault with the farmers for remaining silent and failing to applaud when he referred to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s achievement in getting the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal notified. “Why don't you clap,” he asked the audience.
