Ryots besiege Tiruchy collectorate in demand of Rs 40,000 per acre crop loss aid

TIRUCHY: A section of farmers staged a protest besieging Tiruchy Collectorate on Friday for various demands including a crop damage compensation of Rs 40,000 per acre as the government’s decision to provide Rs 7,000 aid was inadequate.

The farmers from Desiya Thennidiya Nadhigal Inaippu Sangam headed by the state president P Ayyakannu gathered together in the Collectorate entrance and besieged the office.

They highlighted issues like the establishment of the giant bore wells in the Cauvery river bed for the Sivagangai Combined Drinking Water scheme and providing the water facility to Sipcot at Manapparai without constructing a check dam.

They said these issues have already made an impact in the Musiri taluk and several palmirah and coconut trees had withered away and demanded the government to prevent sand smuggling in the Cauvery river bed.

They also demanded a crop damage compensation of Rs 40,000 per acre as the regular announcement of Rs 7,000 per acre would not be sufficient for the farmers.

Claiming that the landslide at Tiruvannamalai occurred because authorities permitted people to construct houses by drilling the terrain, the farmers said, adding that the officials in Tiruchy are making the same mistake in the Thuraiyur region which is likely to witness a similar incident. They urged the district collector to immediately stop such construction of buildings in the region.

Meanwhile, the farmers demanded the nationalised banks provide jewel loans for agricultural activities and asked to initiate action against the banks that attached the tractors and other agricultural machines for failing to pay the EMI during the crop loss season.