The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Ramadoss seeks separate court

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Friday, Apr 13, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Ramadoss seeks separate court

Special Correspondent

To deal with farmers' issues

VILLUPURAM: Pattali Makkal Katchi founder S. Ramadoss on Thursday sought a separate court to settle farmers' issues.

For instance, if sugar mills failed to issue crushing orders in time, the court must order the mills to pay interest on delayed payments. Such a practice was in vogue in Brazil, Dr. Ramadoss told a meeting of cane growers at Thirukkoilur near here.

After consecutive drought and floods, several farmers began cultivating sugar cane crop last year, but the mills were refusing to procure he cane from unregistered areas. Thus, four to six lakh tonnes of sugarcane raised on 25,000 acres in Villupuram district was rotting, forcing farmers to burn the crop.

He said the plight of the farmers had been highlighted in the Assembly. The PMK MLAs would collectively hand over petitions received by him to Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugham for immediate action.

He sought Chief Minister M. Karuananidhi's intervention to direct the mills to procure cane from unregistered areas too. He alleged that owing to rampant corruption and obsolete machinery, 15 cooperative and two government-run mills were on the verge of closure.

Dr. Ramadoss wanted the procurement price in Tamil Nadu to be raised from Rs. 1,025 to Rs. 2,000 a tonne.

He said his party would not allow even an inch of fertile land to be acquired for setting up special economic zones and satellite towns.

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