The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Give enough relief: farmers

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Thursday, Jan 10, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Give enough relief: farmers

L. Renganathan

They want greater transparency in assessing crop loss

Estimation of loss still under way, says Collector
A total of 21 villages in Karur, Kulithalai and Krishnarayapuram have been affected

KARUR: Dissatisfied with the sum of Rs.1.25 crore sanctioned for compensating crop loss, carry out road repair works and plugging breaches in the aftermath of the December rain havoc in Karur district, farmers have called for greater transparency in assessing crop loss adding that a big chunk of the amount would only go towards repair and renovation works of infrastructure rather than for compensating those who had suffered heavy losses.

Collector T.N. Venkatesh said that based on the assessment of the district officials and the report that had been forwarded the State Government had sanctioned Rs.1.25 crore to Karur district to meet compensation expenses in cases of crop loss to farmers, to carry out road repair works and meet the rehabilitation works in case of damaged irrigation or drainage channels.

Revenue, Agriculture and Public Works Department officials have assessed that a total of 21 villages in Karur, Kulithalai and Krishnarayapuram villages have been affected in the recent rain that lashed the district between December 17 and 21. Crops raised on 707.30 hectares belonging to 1,354 small and marginal farmers have been affected, Mr. Venkatesh said.

Compensation given

A sum of Rs.1 lakh was given as compensation to the next of kin of a person belonging to Melavadhiyam who was killed in a wall collapse. The Collector said that Rs.25 lakh was spent on plugging the breaches during the rain period as some irrigation and drainage channels near Kulithalai breached and required immediate plugging.

Conceding that assessment of crop loss was still under way, Mr. Venkatesh said that the amount sanctioned would have to be used for compensating crop loss, carry out road repair works and reimbursing costs towards plugging breaches.

However, farmers in the district, in particular in the rain-hit areas seek greater transparency in assessing damage and crop loss. “Practically few genuine farmers know what has been assessed by the officials as the officials arbitrarily have carried out the assessment keeping the farmers in the dark,” argues the Convener of the Kulithalai Farmers’ Discussion Group, A.V. Gopaladesikan.

Proper preparation of the list of affected farmers was in no way going to affect the officials and be reflecting the real position they would only be doing their ordained duty, claims S. Nagarajan, a farmer from Chinthalavadi.

“We never knew when the officials came and how they assessed the damage to crops,” he said tending to his damaged paddy field just off the Karur-Tiruchi Highway. Many others echo his view.

‘Display list of beneficiaries’

Mr. Gopaladesikan and others want the district administration to put up a list of farmers being compensated for crop loss in an important location like the Taluk Office to usher in greater transparency. That would dispel doubts in the minds of farmers, he added.

Danger to samba paddy

Paddy crop in low-lying areas had been affected due to rain as they remained submerged for over three to four days. About 25 to 30 per cent of paddy might have been affected in the Kulithalai and Krishnarayapuram areas, farmers aver.

The actual loss would be known only during the harvest, they say. However, the rain was beneficial to crops past flowering stage or raised still later but was yet to reach flowering stage, they added.

While there could be an increase in the price of Andhra Ponni variety, farmers fear that the rain had robbed them away of the gain. Harvest was under way in early samba fields sporadically in the district. Generally the rain has helped banana growers but there too in the low-lying fields with lack of adequate drainage facilities leaf spot attacks could be expected.

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