The Hindu : New Delhi News : Manmohan’s help sought for early relief to Kerala farmers

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Wednesday, Apr 16, 2008
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Manmohan’s help sought for early relief to Kerala farmers

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: An all-party delegation led by Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy on Tuesday sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s intervention to get early relief for the rain-wrecked farmers of the State, restore Kerala’s quota of rice through the Public Distribution System, and establish a permanent Bench of the Kerala High Court in Thiruvananthapuram.

Briefing mediapersons later, the Chief Minister, however, did not divulge details on the response from the Prime Minister or the two other Ministers the delegation met – Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar.

It is, however, learnt that Mr. Pawar told the delegation to buy rice from the open market and supply it to the ration-card holders as is being done by the Chhattisgarh government.

As to who would foot the bill for buying the rice from the open market at higher rates, there was no clarity.

In a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister, the delegation said the unprecedented rain that lashed the State last month had caused damage to the tune of Rs.1,430 crore as this was just ahead of the harvest season for not just paddy but many a cash crop.

Referring to the Central team which visited the State earlier this month, the delegation expressed its apprehension about procedural delays aggravating the plight of the farmers.

Further, it urged the Centre to view the present crisis as the result of an aberration in climatic conditions rather than a natural calamity caused by excessive rainfall alone. On the shortage being faced by Kerala on the rice front, the delegation pointed out that the State was facing a precarious situation owing to non-availability of rice through the PDS system at a time of scarcity in the open market. In fact, the Chief Minister sought to draw the Prime Minister’s attention to reports suggesting that some parts of the State had rice in the open market to last only a few days. As for the charge that Kerala was diverting PDS rice, the delegation said it was baseless.

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