PWD channels and their maintenance and lack of it formed the dominant theme of agricultural grievances here at the monthly farmers' grievances day meeting at the Collectorate on Friday.
Contesting the desiltation claims of the public works department along the main drainage channels for agriculture, farmers demanded deepening of channels in order to ensure there were no breaches and also prevent run off into the sea. Further, most of the main channels of PWD had dysfunctional shutters, leading to run off into the sea, and simultaneously allowing sea water intrusion. Reparation of shutters and regulators were one of the few demands that found common cause with a majority of farmers.
There was a call for increase in subsidy for agricultural implements and also to increase the implements on hire with the Department of Agricultural Engineering. The farmers, faced with labour deficit partly because of migration and also due to shortage caused by peaking of agricultural operations in the entire delta, called for easy and cheap availability of mechanised inputs, when farmers are faced with labour deficit.
According to an administration release, the cumulative credit disbursements towards agricultural loans through commercial banks and primary agricultural cooperative societies stood at Rs.322.73 crores to 50,335 farmers. This entailed commercial bank disbursements towards crop loans to the tune of Rs.5.09 crore to 907 farmers, and towards jewellery loans to the tune of Rs.312.48 crores to over 48,186 farmers.
Further, 1,251 metric tones of certified seeds were available at the agricultural cooperatives and 2,481 metric tones of seeds were available with private dealers. Under the Seed Village Scheme, seeds were also being distributed at a 50 percent subsidy, the release said.
Collector T.Munusamy presided over the session; Asiya Mariam, District Revenue Officer were among the officials present.
