TENKASI
A total of 21,721 farmers of the district, who have suffered crop loss due to the unseasonal rains in January, had been given ₹ 21.81 crore as relief, Collector G.S. Sameeran said in the farmers’ grievances redressal meet held here on Wednesday.
Addressing the meeting, Dr. Sameeran said the northeast monsoon that continued even beyond mid-January had inflicted hefty damage to the crop. After the survey conducted jointly by the revenue and agriculture department officials, the report on crop loss was submitted to the government and the affected farmers were being rightly compensated in a phased manner.
Of the 26,312 farmers, who had lost crops cultivated on 24,615 hectares, 21,721 agriculturists had received the compensation of ₹ 21.81 crore in three instalments.
“All the affected farmers will get the due compensation,” Dr. Sameeran assured.
As the farmers’ grievances redressal meet held at the Collectorate, which was hitherto conducted remotely due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, was attended by good number of agriculturists on Wednesday, the aggrieved farmers came down heavily on the officials with a range of complaints. They charged that the officials at the paddy direct procurement centres were demanding ₹ 1.50 per kg towards loading and unloading charges, which should be borne by the government.
They also complained that the officials were refusing to buy the paddy decoloured by the unseasonal rains in January.
Another group of farmers said the crop loans availed from the Mahendravadi Cooperative Society near Sankarankovil were not waived. Those who suffered crop damage due to wild animal invasion urged the officials to give compensation for the loss. They also demanded the appointment of District Forest Officer for the newly formed Tenkasi district.
When the farmers appealed to the Collector to evict encroachments in the waterbodies and the instalation of boundary marker stones after proper survey, Dr. Sameeran assured that it would be done shortly wherever it was required.
Personal Assistant to Collector (Agriculture) Balasubramanian said the district, which would get annual average rainfall of 817 mm, recorded 153 mm rainfall from January to February (till February 24) against the average rainfall of 80 mm during this period. This rain badly affected paddy, green gram and black gram crops raised across the district.
After distributing 360 tonnes of paddy seeds, the depots had the stock of 86 tonnes, Mr. Balasubramanian said.
