'Government should declare TN drought-hit, issue solatium to dead farmer's kin'

Dharmapuri: The state government should issue solatium to the farmer's family who committed suicide in Tiruvarur district, PMK leader Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, said on Saturday.
Talking about farmer Govindaraj, who had recently committed suicide after his paddy seeds withered, he said the farmer had bought the paddy seeds from the government agencies in Tiruthuraipoondy in Tiruvarur district."The suicide could have been avoided if the government had sold healthy paddy seeds. It is the responsibility of the government agencies to sell good seeds," he said adding that the government should take responsibility for this death and issue a solatium to his family at the earliest.
Anbumani also urged the state government to issue 25,000 as compensation per acre across Tamil Nadu and declare the region 'drought-hit'. "About 2,500 farmers committed suicide across the state following losses due to the drought," he pointed.
The Dharmapuri MP was in Jaganathankombai village to inspect a small dam that was constructed in 1963. "The dam, which was opened by the then chief minister M Kamarajar is damaged due to a flood in 2005," said Anbumani. He further said that the state government did not allocate funds to renovate the dam for the past 11 years.
According to him, about 30 villages are dependent on this dam for their water needs and 3 crore is needed for reconstruction of the dam. The public works department (PWD) has to allocate money at the earliest as thousands of farmers rely on the dam.
He further said that nearly 200 crore is needed to execute more than 10 water projects in the district to fulfill drinking water and irrigation needs. He also warned that he will hold a series of protests for each water project, if the state government fails to allot fund for these projects.