Protection scheme not being implemented properly, say farmers

The UPT, one of the flagship schemes of AIADMK government introduced in 2011, replaced the Tamil Nadu Agricultural Labourers – Farmers (Social Security and Welfare) Scheme, 2006. The scheme has various components, including education, marriage of members, marriage of dependents, natural death and funeral, accidental death/injuries, monthly payment for temporary incapacitation and grants to orphan. However, the key component was the pension to farmers.

According to farmers, pension had been stopped after a few years of its implementation. C Durairaj, a farmer from Orathanadu in Thanjavur district, said, “Pension was stopped from 2015. Even other monetary benefits are targeted only to specific persons and the scheme is not implemented properly.”

The statement of Durairaj was proved by the government data, which says that the pension had been stopped since 2014-15. According to the data, pension was given to farmers only during the first three years, from 2011 to 2014 of the scheme. In the three years, a total of Rs 2,092.9 crore was allotted and over 98 pc was utilised.

K P Perumal, treasurer, Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, told DT Next that there was no proper awareness of the scheme among farmers. On the other hand, the government too stopped the pension without any official notification.

A senior official of Revenue Department, on request of anonymity, said that there was no policy shift by the government as far as the UPT was concerned. However, he assured to check all charges of farmers.