Farm budget announcements will not directly benefit farmers: T.T.V. Dhinakaran

The AMMK general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran on Saturday wanted to know what steps the DMK government had taken regarding the settlement of dues by private sugar mills to sugarcane farmers even as it had been claiming credit for marginally increasing the procurement price for sugarcane.

In his response to the second Agriculture budget, Mr. Dhinakaran welcomed the move to provide financial assistance of ₹1 lakh each to unemployed agriculture or horticulture or agricultural engineering graduates for establishing agri-clinic or agro-based activities but pointed out that the government should realise the amount of assistance was insufficient.

As for the ₹300-crore scheme of free distribution of coconut saplings to households in the villages, Mr. Dhinakaran wondered whether this move would benefit coconut growers. Instead, the amount could have been used for those who were hit by the Cyclone Gaja.

Contending that one would feel disappointed over the level of implementation of announcements made in the previous Budget, the AMMK leader said the latest Budget was “full of announcements which will not directly benefit farmers.”