The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Cluster approach for wasteland project

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 20, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Cluster approach for wasteland project

Special Correspondent

To develop inputs such as deep bore wells and drip irrigation system as community assets

CHENNAI: The scheme of developing and distributing wasteland to landless farmers would be continuously toned up on the basis of the Government's experience in the first phase of its implementation, Chief Secretary L.K. Tripathy said here on Tuesday.

Addressing a "State level press conference" on the Government's development and welfare schemes, Mr. Tripathy said a cluster approach would be adopted for the scheme wherever contiguous stretch of ten acres of land was available in a village to minimise displacement of the locals.

The idea was to develop inputs such as deep bore wells and drip irrigation system as community assets, he said, making it clear that the Government had no plans to make the farmers contribute anything now towards land development.

Recalling that over 26,000 acres had been distributed in the first phase of the programme, which was aimed at helping the people in the lowest rung of the economic ladder to come up, he said priority was given to distribute the unoccupied Government wastelands, to be followed by the Government wasteland under encroachment.

"We may not be able to give two acres of land to everybody but the idea is to empower landless agricultural labourers." Giving land to one lakh such farmers was an important step. Total transparency in the selection of beneficiaries had been ensured, he pointed out.

Denying any overt or covert militant activity in the State, the Chief Secretary said the situation was under control even in sensitive districts such as Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri and Vellore. Along with the central agencies, police had been maintaining a close vigil in the coastal areas, he added.

Replying to a query on complaints about distribution of free colour television (CTV) sets to persons who already had CTVs, he said the programme would be closely monitored. Steps would be taken to rectify flaws if any. Around 25 lakh sets would be distributed in the current year, he added. Providing power supply and distributing CTVs to people in 64 far flung tribal hamlets in the Nilgiris district would certainly improve their quality of life, he opined.

The Government was not complacent on the issue of tackling Chikungunya. Hospitals had been provided with adequate medicine, he said. Secretaries belonging to different departments also highlighted the Government's achievements during the last four months.

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