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Monday, Dec 31, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Minister assures damages to farmers

Staff Reporter

5,000 acres of paddy damaged in eight hamlets

Taking stock: S. Regupathy, second from right, Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests, inspecting damaged paddy crop at Embal near Aranthangi on Sunday.

ARANTHANGI: The State Government will take steps for payment of compensation to paddy growers of eight hamlets in and around Embal village near here where the crop has been damaged owing to natural vagaries, Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests S. Regupathi said.

Speaking after receiving petitions from the villagers at a special mass contact day programme at Embal on Sunday, the Minister said that about 5,000 acres of paddy had been damaged by successive vagaries of nature. The Revenue and Agriculture Department officials had conducted a survey to assess the damage. A report on the nature and extent of damage was being awaited from scientists of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra.

Earlier, villagers complained that paddy grown in Chithrambur, Maruthankudi, Kaadaankudi, Tiruvaakudi, Madhagam, Ponnampadi, Egaperumaloor and Irumaanaadu had been totally destroyed. They cultivated ‘BPT-5204’ and ‘deluxe ponni’ varieties, which faced the natural vagaries in three phases: paucity of irrigational water in the initial stage, damage by the recent heavy rain and, worst of all, the ‘blast disease’ owing to mist.

Maths group

The Union Minister also assured the villagers that steps would be taken to start a mathematics group in Government Higher Secondary School in Embal. The villagers said that the starting of the course would ensure promising prospects for students. Chief Educational Officer S. Chellam explained that steps would be taken to start the course from the next academic year.

Collector D. Uthirakkumaran assured the villagers that adequate relief would be sanctioned to those whose houses damaged in the recent flood. Group houses would be constructed under ‘Indira Awajgar Yojana’ during the next financial year. Pesident of the District Panchayat C. Muthusamy and District Revenue Officer G. Prakasam spoke.

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