Farmers of Thanjavur district staged a walk out from the monthly farmers’ grievances redress meeting here.
They alleged non-payment of arrears by two private sugar mills in the district and demanded three-phase power supply for 12 hours.
Sundara Vimalanathan, secretary of Cauvery Vivasayigal Padukappu Sangam, said that two private sugar mills owed Rs. 99 crore arrears to farmers and said that the mills were not paying Rs. 550 a tonne, the price for sugarcane, as announced by the Tamil Nadu Government.
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N. Subbaiyan, Collector, who chaired the meeting, said legal action had been taken and the amount would be recovered.
Not satisfied with the reply, farmers walked out of the meeting hall.
Kakkarai Sukumaran, district president of Thamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam, said through the government announced that three-phase power supply for 12 hours, it is given only for three hours. In a reply to Sukuaran, M. Soundarajan, Superintending Engineer, Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation said that 12 hours supply could be maintained only when wind generation is good.
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Not satisfied with the reply, a group of farmers led by Sukumaran, staged a walk out.
TIRUVARUR: Farmers of Tiruvarur district have appealed to the district administration to take up silt removal in canals and rivers in the district.
Speaking at the monthly farmers’ grievances day meeting at the Collectorate here on Thursday, they said that bank loans should be given to those farmers who have taken up Kuruvai cultivation in pump set irrigated areas.
“Government officials are not giving the necessary certificates needed for getting bank loans to the farmers,” said Sundaramurthy, a farmer.
Durairaj, another farmer said that silt needs to be removed from the Haridwaramangalam canal which irrigates Perunkudi, Koothanur and Poonthottam areas.
Satyanarayana said that farmers were apprehensive over raising Kuruvai crop in canal irrigated areas because of the poor storage level at Mettur dam. He demanded that agriculture department officials offer guidelines to farmers.
S. Natarajan, Collector, presided over the meeting.