TIRUCHI: The Tamizhaga All Farmers Associations Coordination Committee has planned a black flag demonstration against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Coimbatore on February 24.
The agitation is to press for its demands for immediate constitution of the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulatory Authority, ban on the hydro carbon and methane exploration projects and waiver of all crop loans.
“The failure of the Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulatory Authority has led to crop failure in the delta region and suicide of farmers. We will show our displeasure through the protest,” P.R.Pandian, president of the umbrella organisation of farmers associations, told reporters after an urgent meeting of the committee here on Tuesday.
In a resolution adopted at the meeting, the committee said the move to construct dams across the Cauvery and the Siruvani by Karnataka and Kerala were in violation of the final award of the Cauvery Tribunal. It urged the Centre to discard the hydrocarbon exploration project in Pudukottai district.
Chief Minister Edappadi K.Palaniswami should convene a meeting with representatives of all political parties and organisations of farmers and called upon the Centre to protect the irrigation rights of the State. An all-party delegation along with farmers’ representatives should meet the Prime Minister to press the rights of the State, it said.
The meeting urged the State government to begin disbursement of drought relief to farmers. Although the Ministers, officials and a Central team had inspected the drought situation, relief was not given to affected farmers.
The relief of ₹5,465 an acre announced by the State government for paddy growers was too meagre. The relief, including the crop insurance compensation, should be hiked to ₹25,000 an acre. All crop loans, including those extended by nationalised banks, should be waived unconditionally. Farm labourers should be sanctioned a monthly assistance of ₹5,000.
The State government should ensure disbursement of crop insurance compensation due for 2015-16 by releasing its contribution immediately.
The meeting demanded renovation of all rivers, canals and tanks in the delta region and declaration of the delta region as a protected farm zone.
