Chennai: With the state facing a drought with monsoon failure, Tamil Nadu Vivasaigal Sangam on Sunday demanded the state government to declare the state as drought hit and pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to family of farmers who have committed suicide or died of shock following crop failure.
In a letter to chief minister O. Panneerselvam, association general secretary P. Shanmugham said that the state has witnessed 19 per cent shortfall in rain in southwest monsoon and 61 percent short in northeast monsoon as per the Met department. Besides, the state also did not receive its due share of Cauvery river water from Karnataka, which refused to release it despite the Supreme Court direction.
Farmers who began cultivations after the release of water from Mettur dam on September 20 were witnessing withering of their crops without water, he said, noting that since November 4, 31 farmers have either committed suicide or died of shock following crop failure.
“We demand the state government to provide adequate compensation to withered crops. The government should pay Rs 25,000 for an acre of paddy, Rs 50,000 got an acre of sugarcane and production cost for manila, ragi, corn and tamarind should be paid,” he demanded. He urged the government to waive off crop loans availed in the cooperative and nationalised banks. He also demanded the government increased numbers of working days under the MGNREGA scheme from 100 to 200 days and payment of Rs 10,000 as drought relief to agricultural workers.
