THANJAVUR: The first budget of the Edappadi K Palanisami government in Tamil Nadu evoked a mixed reaction from farmers of composite Thanjavur district on Thursday.
S.Ranganathan, secretary, Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association, welcomed the decision of the government to form ‘Farmers Producers Associations’. This will go a long way in marketing the produce of farmers and help in direct contact with consumers and farmers, said Ranganathan.
Ranganathan also welcomed the allotment of Rs 300 crore for ‘Kudimaramathu’ and said it worked well during earlier DMK regime when late Ko.Si. Mani was Agriculture minister and Durai Murugan, PWD minister. Irrigators Associations (Pasnatharar sangams) were formed and they took up the maintenance of rivers and canals and also teak plantations on the banks of rivers. Present government should ensure that ‘Kudimaramathu’ helped in improving water bodies.
However, Ranganathan said that though farmers have paid premium for crop insurance during the year 2015, they have not received the relief yet for the damage to crops. Crop insurance compensation should be paid to farmers immediately, he urged.
Sundara Vimalanathan, secretary, Thanjai District Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, said that government has said that crop loans to the tune of Rs 7,000 crore will be disbursed through co-operative societies. But targets are not achieved every year. Last year government announced that Rs 6,000 crore crop loans would be disbursed. But this target has not been achieved. Moreover scale of finance has gone up and hence loan amount should also be enhanced.
“There was no announcement for payment of arrears to sugarcane farmers. Government and private sugar mills owed Rs 1,150 crore as arrears,” cried Vimalanathan.
Though the state government claimed in 2011 that the state has attained self-sufficiency in electricity, power connections to new agriculture pump-sets have not been given. There was no announcement in the budget about this. Government should take steps to give power connections to agriculture pump-sets, Vimalanathan said.
Vimalanathan welcomed the move to form ‘Farmers Producers Associations’ but wanted more allotment of funds and more associations to cover all districts.
Sami Nadarajan, Secretary, Tamil Nadu Vivsayigal Sangam affiliated to CPI (M) said that budget had nothing for farmers as they have been expecting huge relief-loan waiver etc in the budget. There was no announcement for providing relief to agriculture labourers. There was no announcement for agro infrastructure development and water management. The budget has not reflected upon the severe drought situation in the state and had no positive announcement for providing succour to the Cauvery delta and other farmers.
