Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

‘Government failed to tackle farm crisis’

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Ramesh Chennithala said here on Wednesday that the State government was neglecting its duty of providing adequate assistance to farmers affected by the recent spell of unseasonal rain.

In a statement, Mr. Chennithala said the Chief Minister, by alleging that the Opposition was responsible for the delay in the arrival of the Central team to assess the damage, was making a futile attempt to divert public attention from the inept way the State government had handled the setback in the farm sector.

It was the duty of the State government to convince the Centre about the damages and put pressure appropriately to get assistance. Instead of reaching timely help to the farmers, the Chief Minister and the other Ministers had divergent perceptions about the issue.

When the Opposition raised the matter in the Assembly, the Chief Minister, the Home Minister and the Agriculture Minister were very casual in their response. Had the State government taken adequate steps to provide assistance immediately, hundreds of acres of paddy could have been saved from destruction.

The CPI and the CPI(M) Ministers had turned a blind eye to the farm crisis and taken off to attend their respective party national congresses.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Next season of ‘Star Singer’
‘Government failed to tackle farm crisis’
Local bodies utilise 87.37% of Plan funds
No disruption in drug supply: KMSCL
Pensioners criticise proposal
Bail-out package for TTP sought
Thrust on housing projects
Web site of Volvo Ocean Race launched

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu