Palani also to host farmers’ grievance day meetings  

Palani also to host farmers’ grievance day meetings  

To brook delay, grievance day meetings would be held in a decentralised manner in the district - at the offices of the Revenue Divisional Officers in Dindigul, Kodaikanal and Palani in the first, second and third weeks, respectively, between 11 a.m. and 12 noon. said Collector S. Visakan here on Friday.

Presiding over the monthly farmers’ grievance redress meeting at the Collectorate, he said that 50% of the 22,000 petitions that were received at farmers’ grievance day meetings in the past year had been redressed.

Petitions received since December last seeking sub-division of lands would be resolved by May 15. Further, 30 more land surveyors would be appointed to the existing strength of 54 to expedite survey work.

S. R. Rengamani, president of Dindigul Farmers’ Association, said he had been demanding a bus service connecting R. Kombai, a hilly village in Gujiliamparai taluk, with Dindigul and Karur for more than a year. “Farmers who want to sell tomato, radish, brinjal, etc., at the Uzhavar Sandhais in Dindigul and Karur have to change many buses to reach these markets. In the absence of direct bus services, they find it very difficult to return home in the evenings,” he said.

“Five farmers in Teppakulathupatti in Azhagupatti panchayat of Dindigul West taluk lost 21 cows - 12 died last week alone - due to a mysterious disease. Samples from the dead animals were sent for tests and the results are awaited. The cause of death must be identified soon to prevent spread of the disease,” said M. Ramasamy, district secretary, All India Kisan Sabha. He also urged the government to give compensation to farmers who lost their cows

He said encroachments on Thattankulam channel must be removed so that water reached the over 100 acres of ayacut lands in Palani.

The forum’s president, N. Perumal, said an alternative feeder channel must be constructed to ensure water supply through Annasamudram kanmoi in Nilakottai taluk. “The Highways department has installed a toll plaza following which water flow has been obstructed. Lands of 56 farmers were acquired with an assurance that an alternative channel will be constructed so that they will continue to receive water. But neither the farmers were compensated nor the channel was built. Now, water supply to farm lands in 20 villages remains cut off,” he said.