Edappadi K Palaniswami opposes merger of 3 ICAR institutes in Tamil Nadu
Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Monday dashed off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi opposing proposed merger or closure of three premier Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutes functioning in the state. He brought to Modi’s notice that Sugarcane Breeding Institute in Coimbatore, National Research Centre for Banana at Tiruchirapalli and Central Institute of Brackish water Aquaculture (CIBA), Chennai, are likely to be closed or merged with other ICAR institutes across the country.
He said while the Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, has been serving the farming community since 1912, the National Research Centre for Banana established in 1993 at Tiruchirapalli, is contributing very significantly in increasing the production and productivity of banana so as to meet the growing demand of our varieties in India and abroad.
“The R&D work and research station is of immense importance. Tamil Nadu stands first in banana production and export. The coordination and handholding support extended by the Banana Research Institute, Tiruchirapalli is acknowledged by the Government of Tamil Nadu. I, therefore, request you not to close or merge this Institute with other ICAR Institutions,” Palaniswami said in the letter.
He also brought to Modi’s attention that CIBA, Chennai, provides regular technical support to Tamil Nadu and all other coastal states especially in brackish water aquaculture.
Palaniswami also asked Modi to issue necessary instructions to ministry of agriculture & farmers welfare to continue the activities of these prestigious Institutes to function as such without closure or merger with other institutions, in order to safeguard the interest of farmers and fisher folk of Tamil Nadu.
Paddy cultivation to be hit this year too
Continuous rains in north and western Tamil Nadu has affected farmlands and as a result paddy cultivation is likely to be hit for the third consecutive year.
In 2015, it was excess floods that submerged crops. 2016 saw no rains and drought followed due to the effect of cyclone Vardah. Now it is cyclone Ockhi that has added to the woes of farmers.
The department is now on an enumeration spree calculating the crop and infrastructure damages, a revenue official told DC.
The Chief Minister and the revenue minister have instructed to speed up the enumeration process and crop damages in districts of Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Nagapatiinam, Cuddalore and Tiruvarur will be ascertained.
In Krishnagiri, the damage to the crops was due to the release of water from Krishnagiri dam, which had a faulty shutter gate due to poor maintenance and there are minor water logging in other districts due to breach of water bodies.
For Kanyakumari, the CM has already allocated funds and for other districts crop insurance claims will be processed official sources said.
The state government is also working out details on fishermen of coastal villages, who have lost their boats and nets due to cyclone Ockhi. At present, the state is focused on tracing the missing fishermen. By next week, their damages will also be taken up, informed officials said.
Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy has requested the union government to offer assistance to TN because of damage caused by cyclone Ockhi.
