Allotment of funds inadequate, claim farmers

TIRUCHY: The allotment of Rs 80 crore for the desilt works for the Tiruchy division is inadequate and the farmers from the region demanded to increase the fund which would ensure proper desilt works.

“For the past 10 years, the desilt fund allocation was not proper but the government propagate that they had completed the desilt works within the allotted fund which is not acceptable. The same has happened this time too. In reality, with this meagre fund, the entire stretch cannot be desilted”, PR Pandian, president of the Coordination Committee of All Farmers Association said.

Pandian condemned that there was no fund allocation for the construction works which could be taken up alongside the desilt works. “The government has been deceiving the farmers a lot and this used to trigger protests in the region,” he said.

Pandian charged that the usual fund allocation maintenance works for the shutters and sluices have not been made for several years.

Only when the shutters are working properly, the flooding situation during the monsoon season would be prevented.

“Since there was no proper repair of these mechanisms, we witnessed flooding which would lead to damage to crops. It is time, the government takes care of those maintenance works and allot a separate fund or increase the desilt package fund,” Pandian added.