The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Dharmapuri News : CPI activists stage protests

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 14, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Dharmapuri

CPI activists stage protests

By Our Staff Reporter

DHARMAPURI, SEPT. 13 . Activists of the Communist Party of India (CPI) staged a demonstration in front of the Dharmapuri Central Cooperative Bank (DCCB) demanding adequate drought relief to all farmers in the district here today.

The district secretary of CPI, P. Ilamparithi, said that drought-hit areas in the district must immediately be identified and urged the Government to undertake drought relief works on a war footing.

He claimed that the drought relief extended earlier was meagre and not reaching all the affected farmers.

`Waive crop loans'

Mr. Ilamparithi requested waiving of all existing crop loans and initiate issuing no objection certificates for new crop loans. The prevailing drought conditions had rendered many families jobless and the Government must initiate steps to provide every affected family with 30 kgs of rice a month.

He said that the Government must take steps on a war footing to solve the drinking water crisis and urged for immediate implementation of the Hogenakkal Drinking Water Scheme, as that was the only available solution for the water shortage and fluoride contamination in the district.

He also demanded desilting and improving of the existing water sources like lakes, ponds and other water-harvesting structures for increase in the groundwater level.

Our Salem Special Correspondent writes

Activists of the Salem district unit of the CPI staged road blockades at Salem, Attur and Mettur today to urge the Government to distribute 30 kg of free rice to farmers not employed in farm works. Police arrested nearly 700 activists from these three places.

`Hand over scheme'

The members also demanded that the Government hand over the Food for Work scheme to farmers and farm labourers. The members, led by the district secretary, S. R. Perumal, attempted to block traffic near the Salem Collectorate.

Police arrested the protesting activists who included large number of women. Nearly 200 activists in Attur and 130 in Mettur also were arrested when they attempted to picket traffic.

Our Namakkal Staff Reporter writes

As many as 245 activists of the CPI, including 35 women, were arrested by the police when they staged demonstrations in Namakkal and Tiruchengode today demanding immediate and adequate drought relief to farmers.

While the district secretary, S. Manivel, led the demonstration here, the district executive committee member, M. Selvaraj, led the demonstration in Tiruchengode.

Our Erode Staff Reporter writes

The police arrested over 2,000 CPI activists including former MLA, N. Periyasamy, today when they attempted to picket at 21 places in the district.

Demanding that the Government provide protected drinking water to Erode from Mettur Reservoir through special pipelines, they took out a procession to the Collectorate.

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