Delta farmers demand special samba package

TIRUCHY: The Delta farmers demanded that the state government release a special samba package for going ahead with cultivation and sent a representation on the same to the Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday.

According to Swamimalai Sundara Vimalnathan, the secretary of the Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers' Protection Association, the state government had released the kuruvai special package on time, which was supportive to the farmers who undertook kuruvai cultivation. However, the samba special package has not yet been released, he noted.

“The late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa used to release both kuruvai and samba thalady special packages every year, but it was stopped by her successor Edappadi K Palaniswami. The present DMK government too had not released it," Vimalnathan stated.

"With water from Mettur released on its customary date this year, and adequate monsoon showers recorded in the State ensuring a smooth irrigation process for farmers, the samba harvest would be good on par with kuruvai. Thus, the timely release of the samba special package would be more supportive to the farmers," he said.

Vimalnathan also appealed to the state government to release Rs 8,000 per acre to all the farmers who engage in cultivation in up to four acres. “This samba package facility should also be made available for the tenant farmers," he stressed.