Tamil Nadu: Agri minister assures compensation to rain-hit farmers

CHENNAI: Even as the monsoon rains pounding much of the state including the delta region, state agriculture minister MRK Panneerselvam assured that compensation will be provided after proper assessment.

Speaking to reporters in Chennai on Wednesday, Panneerselvam said that due to the Northeast Monsoon, 16,000 hectares of cultivated area have been submerged. If over 33 per cent of the crops are affected, compensation will be provided after proper assessment.

In a response to former chief minister and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, who alleged that paddy procured by the government had begun to sprout due to rain and delays in transportation, Panneerselvam said: “Usually, it rains only 10–20 days after the onset of the monsoon. But this year, rain started on the very day the season began. That’s why some of the procured paddy has slightly sprouted,” said the Minister.

He added that earlier, paddy bags were stored in open areas, but now the government has set up tents to protect them. Steps have been taken to safeguard paddy bags in 140 regulated market warehouses under the Agriculture Department, as well as in sugar mill godowns, he said.

"In the past four years, we have been procuring paddy on time and in the required quantity. EPS asks why we don’t buy 2,000 bags a day, but during his regime, only 600–700 bags were procured daily. Now, we procure up to 1,000 bags per center each day," he responded.

Saying that Mettur dam was opened on time and 1.8 lakh power connections for agriculture were sanctioned, Panneerselvam added that paddy cultivation has increased by 5 lakh tonnes during the year.

Later on the day, the minister reviewed waterlogging situation in Cauvery delta region.