“The officials are determined not to redress our grievances…For how many more times do we march to the Collector’s office armed with petitions,” was how the farmers responded at the monthly grievances meeting held in Madurai on Friday.
Given a chance to air their grievances, one after the other, farmers who had come from as far as Kottampatti and Usilampatti, Samayanallur and Melur, did not lose the opportunity and attributed the official apathy for the steady fall over the years in the agricultural sector in the district. It was due to the lackadaisical attitude of the officials, particularly, those from the PWD, Mines and Urban Development that things had fallen apart, they charged. “Leave alone the power problem faced by us (farmers). Should not the officials be swift in their action on issuing pattas to the farmers”, they asked. The repeated pleas to evict encroachers had not yielded any result. Despite the Collector’s intervention and assurance, now and in the past, the officials came out with lame excuse.
The fertiliser outlets sold urea and potash at fancy prices. There were also complaints of under weight. The bankers too came in for criticism as some farmers claimed that loan was not released against production of pattas. The nationalised banks insisted on giving loans against jewels, they charged.
Farmers from Keelavalavu and Kottampatti said that their hamlets had the maximum number of tanks, but unfortunately, the authorities were allegedly favouring granite and quarry owners for illegal mining. “When we ask for power, the TANGEDCO officials tell tales, but it is not the case for industrialists. They give connection to industries…The pollution control board authorities too were not interested in stopping or acting against industries that violated the norms”, a farmer from Melur charged.
The farmers of Usilampatti and Valandur said that TNSTC buses did not stop at stops like Karumathur despite the issue being raised in the last farmers’ grievance meeting. “We will wait for a couple of more days for the officials to act and failure to keep their promise may force us to impound the buses until our demand was met”, they threatened.
Vadivelu, brother of late minister and Congress leader Kakkan expressed concern over the survey department officials’ attitude in measuring and laying a road for a small stretch in their hamlet. The officials were passing the responsibility from one to another in issuing “uzhavar card”, he lambasted.
The meeting was presided over by Joint Director (Agriculture) P. Sankaralingam as Collector Anshul Mishra was in a meeting with students’ representatives from the Madurai Kamaraj University, where the hostel issue was snowballing into a major law and order problem. However, Mr. Anshul came to the grievance meeting and attended it for about an hour, which ended at 2.45 p.m., officials said.
Collector’s assurance
Mr. Anshul told the farmers that an order has been issued to check illegal mining in the district and assured stern action as per the laws. On a couple of more pending grievances, he explained the steps taken by the officials and hoped they would be implemented in the coming weeks following which the farmers’ expressed satisfaction.
