MADURAI/RAMANATHAPURAM: Both Madurai District Collector M S Sangeetha and Ramanathapuram District Collector B Vishnu Chandran chaired their first agriculture grievances meeting in their respective districts after assuming office as the collector.
While farmers in Madurai raised their demand of releasing water for the summer crop and for Kuruvai preparation works, farmers in Ramanathapuram staged agitation during the agriculture grievances meeting demanding the district administration to take action towards releasing compensation for crop damage.
As farmers in Madurai demanded the district administration to release water from the Vaigai River for agricultural usage in several parts of the district, the collector stated that considering the condition, water cannot be released immediately. However after an assessment over the next two weeks, actions will be taken towards releasing water for agricultural usage, the collector said.
In response to the queries about patta registration works, officials stated that special camps are being carried out across the district for helping farmers.
Farmers from Usilampatti also raised concerns about the summer gale and rain that damaged the summer season paddy crops. The collector assured us to take action on the issue. Subsequently, farmers from various other parts of the Madurai district raised various issues. Accepting the petitions, the district collector assured to take action on the issues.
The grievances meeting held in Ramanathapuram witnessed agitation by farmers from RS Mangalam and Thiruvadanai amid the meeting held on Wednesday. Gavaskar, a farmer leader from Thiruvadanai, stated that thousands of hectares of paddy crops got completely damaged owing to irrigation woes last December.
"Though months have passed and despite doing a series of protests demanding compensation for crop damage in the wake of the district being hit by drought, no actions were taken on any of the issues raised by us," the farmer leader said.
Pressing the same demands, a few farmers staged agitation amid the grievances hall and submitted a petition. Accepting the petition, Collector Vishnu Chandran assured to take action on the issues. Later, the farmers raised concerns about various other issues, including ill-maintained approach canals, sewage water being released into the Vaigai River, and uncleared Semmai Karuvelam trees. Accepting the petitions, the collector assured action against all the issues.
At least five farmers were provided with tractors at a 50% subsidy at the cost of `46.33 lakh in the Ramanathapuram district.