The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) has urged the State Government to take steps for sanctioning adequate compensation to the farmers of Mettur area whose plantain suffered damages when gale struck a few months ago.
A resolution to this effect was adopted at a meeting of the office-bearers of the Salem West district unit of the DMDK held here recently.
About 1.15 lakh plantains in about 85 hectares in the villages of Kolathur, Konur, Mecheri and surrounding areas were uprooted in the gale that struck three months ago.
An official team inspected the damaged plantain crop and fixed the damages at Rs. 1.13 crores and recommended compensation to the affected farmers. But, the State Government has not sanctioned the compensation to the farmers so far, the resolution said.
The meeting demanded that the government should provide compensation to the farmers without any delay. Failing which it warned sit-in-agitation at the Collectorate on June 29.
Another resolution said that the excess water released from Mettur Dam during floods goes waste into the sea. About 70 tmc to 90 tmc of water is going waste into sea every year.
The government, by implementing special schemes and through River Sarabanga, could use this excess water for filling all the tanks and lakes in Salem district. This will enable in irrigating about 11 lakh acres of land in the district, the resolution pointed out.
The other resolutions demanded steps for cleaning Mettur Dam, special permission for the farmers for removing the fertile sand from the dam.
S.R. Parthiban, MLA and secretary of the Salem West district unit of the DMDK, presided over the meeting.
State Government yet to pay the compensation
