District Collector R. Palanisamy has warned of stringent action against those officials who might indulge in malpractices in the direct procurement centres. The Collector was addressing the farmers' grievance day session held after a gap of two-and-half months here on Friday.
Mr. Palanisamy said that the session was deferred on account of the Assembly elections. He said that complaints were received to the effect that certain officials were procuring paddy from traders instead of from the farmers. If farmers came out with authentic information, officials indulging in such prohibitive practices would be taken to task. Responding to the allegation that certain Village Administrative Officers were wrongly issuing pattas, the Collector said that if they provide him with the clinching evidence he would immediately act upon it.
The Collector said that the officials of the water resource wing of the Public Works Department had been directed to clear the waterways of all the outgrowths, particularly weeds from the canals feeding the Gomukhi dam, Veedur dam and the Manimuktha dam. The officials too had been instructed to strengthen the weak points of bunds of the Gomukhi dam. The Collector told the farmers that adequate fertilizer stocks were kept in the district.
He agreed to look into the demand of the sugarcane growers to conduct a special grievance day session for them. However, the Collector said that an exclusive education loan mela for the wards of the farmers would not be feasible.
As was the practice in the past two years, this year too a common education loan mela would be organised in which the wards of farmers could submit their applications. Personal Assistant to Collector (Agriculture) Chakkaravarthi and Deputy Director (Agriculture) Manian also participated.
