Erratic disbursal of crop loss compensation and insurance benefits surfaced in the farmers’ grievance meeting here on Friday.
District secretary of Tamil Nadu Vivasaayigal Sangam K.P. Perumal informed District Revenue Officer M. Veerappan, who was chairing the meeting, that the police were preventing farmers from attending the meeting in the guise of security check.
As the DRO asked the police to allow all farmers inside the hall, the meeting commenced.
Mr. Perumal said the crop loss compensation of ₹29.42 crore allotted to the district was insufficient. Since farmers who had suffered a heavy crop loss had been left out, a fresh survey should be conducted in order to give due compensation to real losers.
While district president of Tamil Nadu Vivasaayigal Sangam O.A. Narayanasamy demanded a CBI probe into the allocation of crop loss insurance, farmer Krishnamurthy of Ettayapuram wanted to know the survey method adopted to identify farmers who had suffered crop loss. Farmer Thamizh Mani of Kurumbur wanted allocation of compensation for plantain farmers also.
Staging a ‘sand eating protest,’ a group of farmers from Thangammalpuram near Soorankudi said the officials had denied compensation for chilly while compensation was given for the inter-crop, onion.
“Since this practice reflects an erratic survey, a fresh survey should be conducted for identifying the real losers,” farmer A. Varadharajan said.
Another group of farmers from Kazhugumalai also complained that the crop insurance had not been properly disbursed.
Mr. Veerappan said crop loss compensation and insurance would be disbursed to the affected farmers.
Another group of agriculturists from Udankudi area, led by farmer Chandrasekaran, staged a walkout from the meeting after alleging that the Revenue Divisional Officer of Tiruchendur was backing a private fish crusher unit, “which was seriously polluting the waterbodies and the environment.”
When Mr. Narayanasamy urged the district administration to conduct a comprehensive probe into the sale of fake fertilizers and pesticides by a private firm in the district, Joint Director of Agriculture Selvaraj replied that a Nagalapuram-based trader had been booked in this connection. “We’re analysing the samples collected from the shop. If the samples fail, stringent action will be taken against the trader,” he assured.
