THANJAVUR: Having lost ‘kuruvai’ (short-term crop) and ‘samba’ (long-term crop) in canal irrigated areas in Cauvery delta districts this year, farmers urged the Tamil Nadu Government to pay relief to farmers, farm labourers and farmers who died or committed suicide allegedly due to mental agony over failure of ‘samba’ crop this year. A resolution to this effect was adopted at a seminar organised jointly by farmers organisations of delta districts, Tamil Nadu PWD Senior Engineers Association and Power Engineers Society of Tamil Nadu on ‘protection of rights of Tamil Nadu on Cauvery waters’ here on Saturday.
Briefing presspersons at the end of the seminar, A.Veerappan, State secretary of Tamil Nadu PWD Senior Engineers Association and P.Maniarasan, Co-ordinator of Cauvery Urimai Meetpu Kuzhu said that a sum of Rs 25 lakh should be paid to the kin of deceased farmers, Rs 25,000 per acre to farmers who lost ‘samba’ crop and Rs 25,000 to each family of agriculture labourers who lost their livelihood.
Veerappan said that the seminar urged central Government to form the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) immediately. He also said that the seminar has urged Central and state Governments to declare Cauvery delta districts as protected agro economic zone and called for unity among various political parties and farmers organisations in fighting for their rights.
It also demanded implementation of modern irrigation schemes by Tamil Nadu Government by allotting Rs 1 lakh crore for the next five years, construction of 75 small dams and desilting 20,000 lakes in the state, formation of cooperative farms by farmers, among others. The seminar opposed the National Water Framework Bill 2016 and said that it will lead to commercialising water and give it to private and multi-national companies. It appealed to Tamil Nadu Government not to implement if the Bill came into force as an Act. Speaking at the seminar, S.Gandhi, president, Power Engineers Society of Tamil Nadu said that Cauvery issue is not related to only Cauvery delta districts but an issue related to entire state.
