Count our views before announcing samba policy: Delta ryots

TIRUCHY: Delta farmers, who have been waiting for the announcement of samba and thalady policy, have urged the State government to hold an interactive session, headed by the Chief Secretary, with officials so that they can put forth their expectations and requirements.

“Kuruvai has already failed due to water shortage and we are fingers-crossed over the prospects of samba and thalady. The State government should tell us what to do for the cultivation and inform if there is any alternative plan,” said Swamimalai Sundara Vimalnathan, Secretary, Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association.

Vimalnathan further said that the irrigation for samba has been classified as groundwater, rain-fed, and surface water (river) irrigation. Among these, the farmers involved in groundwater irrigation need uninterrupted power supply, while rain-fed cultivation needs a storage facility and river irrigation which has been undertaken by around 40 per cent of farmers in samba cultivation. “The government should come out with a policy for samba in such a way that it should support the entire farming community, including the agricultural labourers, as they have almost lost their livelihood,” he said.

Though the samba policy was released in mid-September, the farmers are clueless still. However, the farmers are confident that some announcement would be made in the Cabinet meeting scheduled on October 31.

“What we need is an interaction meeting and that should be organised in the Delta region. We urge the participation of the secretaries of all the departments so that a clear-cut decision can be arrived at,” said Vimalnathan.

“The only solution would be declaring the Delta as a drought-hit region and get the due compensation from the union government and the compensation should also be given to the agricultural labourers,” he added.