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Ryots’ relief package sets off ruckus in Assembly

PUDUCHERRY: The Puducherry Assembly witnessed uproarious scenes on Wednesday with the Treasury Benches and the Opposition crossing swords at each other on the issue relating to relief package for the farmers “to mitigate their sufferings owing to loss of crops in the recent heavy rain.”

The issue was raised by leader of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) A. Anbalagan, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) members S.P. Sivakumar and R. Siva, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leader R.K.R. Anantharaman, Puducherry Munnetra Congress (PMC) leader K. Lakshminarayanan and Congress Member A. Namassivayam through a call attention motion.

Minister for Agriculture V. Vaithilingam said the Puducherry and Karaikal regions were battered by heavy rain from March 12 to 23. Against the normal rainfall of 15.4 mm for Puducherry in March, a rainfall of 222.1 mm occurred and against 18.2 mm for Karaikal, 199.3 mm was recorded during that period, he said.

Intensive field inspection showed that crops to an extent of 2,185 ha in Puducherry and 5,577 ha in Karaikal region were affected, he said.

Mr.Vaithilingam said the government was taking “appropriate action” to extend relief to the affected farmers as per the norms circulated by the Central government.

The total requirement of funds for providing relief at the rate of Rs.4,000 per ha for irrigated crops and Rs.2,000 per ha for rain-fed crops would be Rs.2.03 crore for both the regions, he said, adding that the relief package would be provided within 10 days.

Disbursement of financial assistance at the rate of Rs.1,000 per ha was in progress for the crops damaged by the heavy rain that lashed both the regions in December 2007, Mr.Vaithilingam said. Crops in an area of 7,354 ha in Puducherry and 6,615 ha in Karaikal were damaged then. Proposals had been submitted to the Centre requesting financial assistance at the rate of Rs.4,000 per ha, he said, adding that the Central team had also visited the affected areas in the two regions on March 1 and 2.

Speaking on the issue, Mr. Anbalagan said the Ministers had failed to visit the affected areas immediately. The government should have taken steps to rush relief to the farmers for crop damage, he added.

Mr. Sivakumar (DMK) said the Ministers should have rushed to the flood-hit areas to console the affected farmers. Instead, they were visiting Bangalore, Hyderabad and New Delhi then, he added. Mr. Vaithilingam said he and some other Ministers had inspected the affected fields in Karaikal and other areas.

Intervening, Minister for Welfare M. Kandasamy said the Ministers did not believe in “showing-off.” Every party had internal problems, he added. Even as the DMK MLAs were on their feet protesting against his remark, the Minister said the Members were toadying to somebody.

Mr. Sivakumar took exception to Mr. Kandasamy’s remark, which only betrayed the “ineptitude” of the government. “Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and All India Congress Committee general secretary Rahul Gandhi had also undertaken such visits to the flood-affected areas,” he said.

Leader of the Opposition A.M.H. Nazeem expressed dissatisfaction over the government’s response. The DMK would definitely point out the omissions and commissions of the administration, he said.

Mr. Lakshminarayanan and Mr. Anantharaman also said the Ministers should have reached out to the affected farmers without delay. All members who spoke on the issue said the compensation announced by the government was inadequate.

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