Even as 101 works have been taken-up under the ‘kudimaramathu scheme’ in the district on an outlay of ₹6 crore, the farming community has alleged that desilting of irrigation tanks and maintenance of the channels were being done in a shoddy manner owing to “rampant corruption”.
Farmers led by S. T. Shaik Maideen, R. Kasamuthu and Chelladurai took up the issue at the farmers’ grievance redressal meeting held here on Friday. They said that the works selected under ‘kudimaramathu scheme’ had not been executed properly as the officials and the contractors had been executing the work in a shoddy manner. They added that the very objective of the scheme would get defeated if this situation was allowed to continue.
Even though the farmers reiterated their allegation with a few evidences, the officials remained silent without making any clarification.
Observing the silence among the Public Works Department officials, Collector M. Karunakaran, who chaired the meeting, announced that farmers living in the areas where ‘kudimaramathu scheme’ works were going on would be informed about the work to be done in their area and the agriculturists would be allowed to inspect the work. “The Public Works Department officials should carry out the ‘kudimaramathu scheme’ works only in the presence of the farmers,” Dr. Karunakaran ordered amidst thunderous applause from the agriculturists.
The Collector said over 52,000 farmers in the district would receive compensation under the crop insurance scheme during the next week as almost all farmers had suffered crop loss owing to monsoon failure. While small and marginal farmers would get 100% subsidy for installing micro irrigation equipments to save the horticultural crops, others would get 75% subsidy under this scheme.
“We expect sufficient rainfall during the south-west monsoon, which would usually start in the first week of June along the Western Ghats. Anticipating good rainfall this year, we’ve stocked adequate quantity of chemical fertilizers. The direct disbursal of fertilizer subsidy to the farmers will come into effect from June 1,” Dr. Karunakaran informed.
Joint Director of Agriculture Kanagaraj said the farmers could join the Prime Minister’s Crop Insurance Scheme during the ‘kar’ season. Farmers going in for paddy cultivation should pay the premium before July 31 and the deadline for gram varieties was August 15. Agriculturists cultivating plantain and onion should pay the crop insurance premium under the Prime Minister’s Crop Insurance Scheme by September 30.
Representatives of private insurance firm, who participated in the meeting, informed that disbursal of compensation for withered paddy under the crop insurance scheme would commence on May 29.
Dr. Karunakaran said the list of beneficiaries under the crop insurance scheme would be displayed in the office of Village Administrative Officers as farmers refused to accept the proposal of posting it online.
