Don’t divert NABARD funds for road works, farmers tell TN

TIRUCHY: Farmers from the Delta region demanded the state not to divert NABARD fund meant for agricultural purposes for carrying out road works, which would force farmers out of cultivation.

The fourth death anniversary of traditional paddy farmer Nel Jayaraman was observed in Mannargudi after which PR Pandian, president Coordination Committee of All Farmers Associations, told the reporters that the state government has been keen on developing road infrastructure instead of promoting farming activities and thus, the government has been in the practice of diverting NABARD funds meant for agriculture to road projects. This would certainly push farmers out of cultivation.

“In the name of developing road infrastructure, the government has been destroying agricultural lands and fails to allocate adequate funds for desilt works and other irrigation projects,” he charged.

Pandian appealed to the government to promote organic farming and involve the local body administration into making organic fertilizer.

He also charged that the HR&CE Department has been preventing the tenant farmers from cultivating temple owned lands. The government should allow farmers, who have been cultivating the lands for several years, to continue their work and drop the plan of auctioning the lands.

Earlier, the farmers paid floral tributes to the portrait of Nel Jayaraman.

Pandian appealed to the government to promote organic farming and involve the local bodies in making organic fertilizer