Don’t delay, start power supply at 6 am, demand Ranipet ryots

RANIPET: The delay in supply of three-phase power has been affecting agricultural operations in Ranipet districts, farmers complained.

According to the farmers, the power supply has been starting only between 9 am and 9.30 am for past one month.

“We need to operate motors during the early hours to irrigate the fields and ready them for transplanting. But, late start of this work, say around 9.30 am will have a cascading effect on other operations to be carried out in the day,” said Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam Ranipet district president CS Mani.

“Already hit by farmhands shortage, the delayed power forces farmers to pay the labourers even if they do not work,” said sangam’s state general secretary S Udayakumar.

Elaborating, he said “it is common knowledge that farming activities start around 6 am. Though labourers come at 6 am, they are forced to sit idly till the power supply starts.”

“We never faced this problem when the AIADMK was in power. The idea of supplying power at 9.30 am is the work of officials, who are not conversant with agricultural practices,” Sangam youth wing state president R Subash said.

The Ranipet farmers said the decision to supply water at 9.30 am was taken as per the needs of delta districts.

“Unlike the delta districts, which rely on Cauvery water for agriculture, a majority of non-delta district farmers depend on electricity and when the supply is delayed, it is equal to not giving it at all,” said Subash. Power supply should begin at 6 am in line with the farming activities, he said.

Thanjavur farmers protest co-operative bank’s mishandling of crop loans

Farmers from Thanjavur staged a protest on Tuesday outside the Joint Registrar’s office against the Primary Cooperative Credit Society’s mishandling of the crop loan funds.

According to the agitating farmers, the loan waiver for the sugar cane farmers in Rettai Vayal Primary Cooperative Credit Society in 2016 and 2021 was not credited to their accounts. More than 200 farmers benefited from the loan waiver in the society and the farmers then staged a series of protests demanding the funds District collector Dinesh Ponraj Oliver organised a meeting and assured them of action. “But even after several months, no action was initiated so far,” said