Farmers question Central team’s delayed visit for crop inspection

There was an equal level of expectation and disappointment over the visit of the Central team, which reached Nagapattinam district on Friday to inspect the crops damaged by rains, among farmers as they felt that the assessment may not be done in a fair manner as the water had completely drained out from the fields. However, the inspection raised expectations of disbursal of compensation from the Centre for the lost crops.

When the team reached Karunkanni village near Keezhaiyur in Nagapattinam around 8.30 am, farmers told the members that they had spent at least Rs 30,000 per acre and the water pooled the entire fields have drained away and so the assessment would only be a namesake exercise.

The farmers told the team that even after the visit by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniwami, no proper compensation has been declared so far. They said that the government had announced just Rs 20,000 per hectare which was not sufficient to compensate the losses.

Informing that it would take a minimum of three years to recover from the present loss, the farmers urged the team to initiate steps to recommend proper compensation and disbursal of the same at the earliest so that they could begin the next course of agricultural activities. The team members assured the farmers to get them adequate compensation.

Subsequently, the team visited Thalainayar, Vellapallam and Palaiyur areas and officials from Nagapattinam said that 19,749 ha paddy was affected by the unseasonal rains. Officials had enumerated the villages where the damage was more than 33 per cent and sent to the government for assessment and subsequent compensation. Nagapattinam Collector Praveen P Nair, Joint Director (Agriculture) Kalyanasundaram and other officials accompanied the team.