Chilli growers demand immediate disbursal of insurance benefits

THOOTHUKUDI

THOOTHUKUDI

Chilli growers of Vilaathikulam block in the district, who are waiting for insurance benefits since 2020, have warned of agitations against the insurance company demanding early disbursal.

Raising this issue in the farmers’ grievances meet held here on Thursday, district secretary of Tamil Nadu Vivasaayigal Sangam P. Puviraj said the chilli growers of Vilaathikulam taluk, who suffered crop loss in 2020 due to heavy downpour, were yet to get insurance benefits despite paying the insurance premium before the deadline for 2020 – 2021. Though the affected chilli farmers had filed several complaints with the insurance firm and the Department of Agriculture, their wait for the insurance benefits was continuing without any reply from the officials concerned.

Meanwhile, farmers from Vilaathikulam rose from their seats and warned the officials that they would launch series of agitations on this issue.

District Revenue Officer P. Kannabiraan, who was chairing the meeting, assured the farmers that the Department of Agriculture was taking steps for early disbursal of the insurance benefits to the affected chilli growers of Vilaathikulam taluk.

 When Mr. Puviraj alleged that the public works department officials had failed to check violations in sand mining at Marthandampatti on Vaippaar riverbed, the DRO assured that he would look into this issue.

 Farmer Thamizhmani of Kurumbur, who raised the issue of the delay in disbursing the deposits made in Kurumbur Primary Agriculture Cooperative Bank after all accounts of the bank remain frozen following alleged irregularities, said the depositors were gradually landing in debt trap due to delay in returning the deposits. “This will lead to more serious problem if the depositors are left at the mercy of moneylenders,” he warned.