Madurai: The felicitation function held for Chief Minister Jayalalithaa at Masthanpatti, considered a lucky venue for the AIADMK, in Madurai on Friday provided a platform for the farming community to reiterate their commitment to vote for her in the next Assembly polls too.
In a thanks-giving gesture, the farmers solely depending on Mullaiperiyar water for irrigation told the AIADMK supremo that they would overwhelmingly elect her in the next Assembly elections.
Presiding over the function, V. Krishnamoorthy, executive member of Cumbum Valley Water Users’ Association, said the Chief Minister, by emerging triumphant in the case against Kerala over the Mullaiperiyar dam issue and implementing the apex court order of increasing the storage to 142 feet, has laid a path for victory in 2014 (the year scheduled for the next assembly elections). “She has a progressive and long-term vision,” he said.
In his welcome address, R.Arul Prakasam, president of Periyar Irrigation Farmers’ Association, hailed CM as a legal luminary who waged a court battle and won it to protect the farmers and their livelihood. “She defeated Kerala’s conspiracies. British engineer Col John Penny Cuick built the dam to raise the socio-economic standards of the people of southern Tamil Nadu while the chief minister retrieved the rights lost. This is no ordinary achievement. She is a living Pennycuick,” he praised.
M.Maduraiveeran, Ramanathapuram district secretary of Vaigai Irrigation Farmers’ Association, described Jayalalithaa government as farmer-friendly and said the entire community would remain loyal to her. Panaiyur A.Azhaguservai, Madurai district secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers’ Association, said agriculturists would always think of two-leaves (AIADMK symbol) as they raise crops. “We will exercise our votes only for you,” he said.
AIFB state general secretary P.V.Kathiravan said increasing the level of the dam would help irrigate 2.25 lakh acres and 65 lakh people in the southern districts. “The Chief Minister has executed the SC order in 70 days. She should become a national leader.” State ministers R.B. Udhayakumar, S. Sundararaj and S.Gokula Indira said their leader was all set to win all the 234 assembly seats in the next state elections.
