Cane ryots held for besieging Collectorate

TIRUCHY: Tension prevailed at Thanjavur for a while on Wednesday after police arrested 200 sugarcane farmers, who attempted to besiege the Collectorate demanding the district administration to order Thiru Arooran Sugar factory to release the arrears.

Sugarcane farmers from Thanjavur have been staging a series of protests for the past 22 days demanding the disbursement of arrears. Since the factory administration maintained an unusual silence on the issue citing the transfer of administration, a large number of farmers, led by Gandharvakottai MLA M Chinnadurai, on Wednesday converged in front of the Thanjavur Collectorate and staged a protest.

Members from Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam and Tamil Nadu Sugarcane Farmers Association also took part in the agitation.

Suddenly, the farmers proceeded to the main gate of the Collectorate and attempted to besiege the office and soon the police prevented them by placing barricades.

The farmers tried to forcibly remove the barricades and this triggered a minor scuffle between the police and the protestors. Soon the farmers went to the middle of the road and blocked traffic movement. Subsequently, the police arrested around 200 farmers.

“The Thiru Arooran Sugar factory obtained a loan of Rs 300 crore in the name of the farmers without their knowledge. This apart they had not released the arrears to the farmers.

And thus around 15,000 families are left in the lurch and no official has met us for the past 21 days of our protest,” said the Sugarcane Farmers Association president Ravindran. He urged Chief Minister MK Stalin to intervene and resolve the problem of farmers.