The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Sops won't sway farmers: Vasan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 24, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Sops won't sway farmers: Vasan

Special Correspondent

Says farmers had launched many stirs to "assert their right" for free power

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president G.K. Vasanon Sunday accused the State Government of attempting to hoodwink farmers by making several announcements ahead of the Assembly elections.

In a statement here, he appealed to TNCC leaders, legislators and party functionaries in the districts and taluks to participate in the State-level demonstration on October 26 in support of the demands of farmers.

The AIADMK Government had taken several anti-farmer measures such as withdrawal of free electricity for agricultural pump sets and the farmers had to launch many agitations to "assert their right" to free power, Mr. Vasan said.

Farmers in the delta region suffered huge losses due to the Government's decision to give up monopoly procurement by the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation. Farmers would not forget that it was the present Government that had given up the practice of providing incentives, he said.

Against its share of 820 tmcft of water as per the interim award of the Cauvery Tribunal, the State received only 484 tmcft in the past four years owing to the State Government's "confrontationist attitude."

He alleged that delta farmers were "pushed to poverty and starvation" as they suffered losses to the tune of Rs. 5,200 crores due to crop failure.

The State Government had not announced the minimum support price for sugarcane during the past four years. Though the Government had fixed the procurement price for cane at Rs.1,014 per tonne, orders were issued in such a way that it was applicable only to cooperative mills.

Why did the Government hesitate to make private mills implement the procurement price, he asked.

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