The grievance redress meeting for farmers convened by Collector Dinesh Ponraj Oliver here on Friday got impeded for a brief period as a group of farmers from Thiruvonum staged a demonstration right at the meeting venue itself in order to highlight their grievance.
The farmers, led by V. K. Chinnadurai, secretary, Thiruvonam Taluk Farmers’ Welfare Association, sporting green colour towels on their heads squatted on the floor in front of the podium seeking immediate redressal of their grievance after presenting a memorandum to the Collector.
They alleged that the agriculture cooperative credit societies in Rajali Viduthi, Unjiya Viduthi, Thaligai Viduthi, Poovalur, Chillathur and Vettuvakkottai in Thiruvonam taluk did not entertain the request for crop loan from the farmers.
They withdrew their demonstration after the Collector assured them that special loan melas would be held at these societies next week to redress their grievance.
Issues such as non-availability of fertilizers and demand for increased flood relief and input compensation assistance dominated the meeting as several farmers pleaded with the State government to come to their rescue like the previous AIADMK government did last year when heavy rains affected agriculture operations during the ‘samba’ season last year.
