Farmers in Tiruvarur district lambasted the work on removing silt taken up in the channels saying the tardy work had left many areas in the tail end ayacuts with no water for irrigation at a crucial period.
Raking up the issue during farmers’ grievances day meet here on Thursday, some farmers alleged that the Public Works Department had not properly and fully removed silt from irrigation channels in the district.
Cultivation, especially in the tail-end areas, had been greatly affected because of the tardy dredging work, they alleged and raised slogans denouncing the quality of work carried out. Some farmers wanted the shoals in rivers removed for ensuring free flow of water.
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Another section of farmers contended that the Koradachery Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society had not disbursed the 2012-13 crop insurance compensation to the tune of Rs. 45 lakh yet and demanded immediate release of the amount to the affected farmers.
A group of farmers raised the issue of quality, availability, and sale price of fertilizer and other agricultural inputs in the district saying there were complaints of adulteration and over pricing by some unscrupulous fertilizer traders and sought steps to prevent such illegal action.
Farmers wanted the officials to clarify whether the work demanded in the agricultural grievances meet were completed in the subsequent meet to ensure better accountability.
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They sought a monitoring committee comprising officials of the Agriculture, Revenue, and Public Works departments to track the samba paddy cultivation as the northeast monsoon had set in bringing copious rains.
District Revenue Officer T. Mohanraj assured farmers that their grievances would be redressed soon. Senior Regional Manager, Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation, Alagirisamy, and Joint Director of Agriculture Mayilvahanan participated in the deliberations.