The State Government has always stood up to fight and secure the rights of Tamil Nadu farmers, Agriculture and Housing Minister R. Vaithilingam said here on Monday.
Addressing a meet organised by various farmers organisations in the delta region to thank the government for extending kuruvai package worth Rs. 41 crore, he said it was during her regime that Mettur Dam was opened ahead of June 12 for kuruvai cultivation. In the Stanley Reservoir’s 80 year history, the dam shutters were opened beyond that date on 55 occasions while the appointed date was kept only on 12 years.
Observing that the shutters and sluices could be lifted for delta kuruvai cultivation if the water level touched 90 feet at the dam, Mr. Vaithilingam lamented that former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, and DMDK leader Vijaykanth failed to grasp that fact and were criticising the government as if it was negligence and a wanton act. Delta farmers would not be misled by their smear campaign, he claimed.
Highways and Forests Minister Edappadi R. Palanisamy slammed the previous DMK regime for not taking adequate steps to get the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal published in the gazette and it was left to Ms. Jayalalithaa to fight legal battles to achieve that feat.
Mr. Karunanidhi’s efforts pale when compared to that of Ms. Jayalalithaa’s in protecting farmers rights be it on Cauvery or Mullaperiyar.
Drought might have stalked the State but poverty never set foot here under the AIADMK regime, Food Minister R. Kamaraj said adding that every scheme of the Chief Minister was tailor-made to meet the demands of farmers. The kuruvai package being rolled out for the delta ryots for the fourth time and the samba package granted in 2012 stood out.
Cauvery Delta Farmers Protection Association general secretary Mannargudi S. Ranganathan, who presided, thanked the Chief Minister for the timely gesture to release approximately Rs. 41 crore as kuruvai package when delta ryots were keeping their fingers crossed on dealing with the paddy cultivation.
It was a pleasant surprise and timely gesture to the delta farmers much like the manner in which a mother feeds her infant knowing what it required and when, he remarked.
Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam district secretary Krishnamani welcomed the gathering while general secretary of the Cauvery Delta Farmers’ Forum Sathyanarayanan proposed a vote of thanks.
