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Wednesday, May 21, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Farmers arrested for blocking road

Staff Reporter

20 villages continue to suffer due to power cuts
More protests till the problems are set right

ARUPPUKOTTAI: Seventy-three members of farmers’ wing affiliated to Communist Party of India were arrested here on Tuesday when they tried to block road protesting against erratic power supply for lift irrigation in Paralachi area.

Srivilliputtur MLA T. Ramasamy, addressed the protestors before the road blockade in front of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board office.

The farmers’ wing district secretary, M. Srinivasan, who led the protest, said that farmers of over 20 villages in Paralachi area continued to suffer due to unannounced power cuts for the past two weeks.

“We have given petitions to officials here and at Chennai but there is neither any reprieve nor response,” he said.

Stating that they were not getting three-phase power that facilitated lift irrigation even during the permitted hours, between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., he said that crops, such as sugarcane, paddy, chilli and pulses, were facing severe water shortage.

“After the unprecedented rain that damaged our crops in March, now it is the TNEB officials who are putting us to hardship,” he said.

Voltage problems

The villagers were also facing low-voltage problem.

Mr. Srinivasan said that the officials were not ready to tell them as to why they were facing such problems, even when power supply was normal in neighbouring Veeracholan, Narikudi and Kamuthi areas.

The farmers had planned to organise more protests till the problem was set right.

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