Leader of Opposition, Oommen Chandy, has called upon the Government to provide immediate relief to all the farmers who have lost their rubber trees in an attack by a group of vandals at the Ottathil fields at Thengeli in Kuttoor panchayat near Thiruvalla on Friday.
Mr. Chandy was talking to reporters during his visit to the affected rubber plantations belonging to 11 marginal farmers at Thengeli on Sunday.
``If the Government fails to provide adequate relief measures to the hapless peasants, the United Democratic Front would mobilise the common masses to extend the necessary assistance to them,’’ he added.
Mr. Chandy said the Government should shed its ``inertia’’ and give freedom to the police for carrying out a free and fair investigation into the felling of about 1800 rubber trees by a group of armed vandals in Kuttoor panchayat with out any further delay.
He alleged that the Government did not provide any relief to the farmers who have lost rubber trees in a similar incident at Charumoodu near Mavelikkara a year ago.
Mr. Chandy said he would personally take the initiative to supply rubber saplings from the Rubber Board to the farmers who have lost their rubber trees in the vandalism, if the Government fails to do the same.
The Opposition Leader also called upon the Government to take necessary steps to write off the farm loans of the aggrieved farmers.
He said a memorandum in this regard, signed by all United Democratic Front MLAs, would be submitted to the Chief Minister soon. He further requested all like-minded Left Democratic Front MLAs to sign the memorandum, if they support the genuine cause of the farmers of Thengeli who have lost their rubber trees in the vandalism.
Mr. Chandy said the issue would be raised in the Assembly soon.
