The district received moderate to widespread rainfall on Monday with Samayapuram recording the maximum rain of 55 mm during the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday. The following is the chief amount of rainfall recorded in other parts of the district during the same period (in mm): Tiruchi Town 41, Marungapuri 40.40, Manapparai 40.20, Tiruchi Airport 29.50, Tiruchi Junction 23.50, Devimangalam 23, Golden Rock 22, Kovilpatti 13.20, Vathalai Anicut 11.60 and Thuvakudi 10. The district received an average rainfall of 14.23 mm.
Applications
invited for loans
Applications have been invited for the subsidy-cum-loan schemes implemented by the Tamil Nadu Backward Classes Economic Development Corporation. The Corporation extends loans to small and marginal farmers from backward, most backward and denotified communities for creating irrigation facilities through new borewells with motors. Credit is extended for various economic activities such as agriculture and agriculture allied business, small business, handicrafts, transport and service business ventures. The credit would be extended through cooperative and nationalised banks, Collector K.S.Palanisamy said in a press release.
“Procure paddy without delay”
The farmers’ wing of the Tamil Manila Congress has urged the State government to ensure the procurement of paddy without any delay at the Direct Purchase Centres in the delta districts. In a statement issued here, A.Nagarajan, president of the farmers wing, said kuruvai paddy brought in by farmers in some places were not being procured immediately. The government should also relax the norms to procure paddy with a moisture content of up to 24 per cent, he demanded.
“Fix minimum wage”
The Tamil Nadu Jananayaka Kattumana Thozhilalar Sangam has urged the government to fix the minimum monthly wage for construction workers at Rs.20,000. A resolution to this effect was adopted at the State office bearers meeting of the association held here recently. The association also urged the government to provide a minimum pension of Rs.7,500 a month for construction workers. Construction workers should be covered under Employees State Insurance Corporation and Employees Provident Fund Organisation, the meeting demanded.