Erode: In a concerned and humanitarian gesture, the DMK treasurer and leader of the opposition, M.K. Stalin on Saturday met the family members of farmers who committed suicide near Erode over crop failure recently and consoled the deceased ryots’ kin.
The farmers, Ramalingam from Karattupalayam village and Muthusamy in Erode district recently committed suicide, when their turmeric crop dried without water.
After meeting the family members of the victims, he handed over Rs 1 lakh to each of the affected families.
Speaking to reporters later the DMK leader said, “farmers in Kodumudi region were affected severely, when the water for irrigation through Kalingarayan canal was not released properly for this season. We demand the state government to release the water for this region immediately to save the standing crops. It is condemnable that none of the ministers, MLAs and MPs met the affected farmers and the families of those two farmers, who committed suicide.”
Mr. Stalin further said, “many political parties represented to the Central government to declare Tamil Nadu as drought-hit state; yet there has been no response from the Centre.”
Commenting on the demonetisation issue, he said, “I could not find any data about Prime Minister’s claim that majority of the people supported the scheme.
The issue should be brought to the public and opinion ascertained through voting. While we are welcoming the scheme, we expect it to be implemented without affecting the common people. The DMK will extend support for the strike by traders on November 28 on this issue.”
