The Hindu : Other States / Pondicherry News : Ban sought on conversion of farmland

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Sunday, Jan 16, 2005

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Ban sought on conversion of farmland

By Our Staff Reporter

PONDICHERRY, JAN. 15. The Pondicherry Farmers Union has called upon the administration to impose a ban on conversion of fertile farmlands into residential plots. A resolution adopted at the union's general council meeting on Thursday also said that since the merchants purchasing paddy from ryots were exploiting them by quoting "unreasonably low prices," the government-owned corporations such as PAPSCO (Civil Supplies Corporation) and PASIC (Agro Services Industries Corporation) should procure the paddy.

The general secretary of the union, T. Geethanathan, who distributed copies of the resolution to newsmen on Friday said that farmers who had measured paddy at the government-run Regulated Markets had not been paid the subsidy part of the price for 18 months.

The amount for the payment of subsidy was already available for disbursement with the Directorate of Agriculture. Shortage of staff to prepare the cheques was said to be reason for delay in disbursement of the amount.

The union also demanded immediate disbursement of the relief amount to farmers who had suffered the impact of heavy rains in October and November and hike in the compensation for the tsunami-hit farmers to Rs. 10,000 for an acre of land lost in the havoc.

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