TIRUCHY: Farmers armed with a demand to expedite the desilt works in the Delta region urged the state government to convene a tripartite meeting of farmers with revenue and agriculture department officials during the grievances redressal meeting chaired by Collector Deepak Jacob on Wednesday.

Citing the disbursal of Rs 10 lakh compensation to victims of hooch tragedy, farmers demanded a solatium of Rs 20 lakh if a ryot loses life due to natural calamities and electrocution or stung by poisonous creatures while carrying out agricultural activities.

The farmers wanted the desilt works to be expedited and completed before the opening of Mettur dam for irrigation.

Charging that a few officials were lethargic in executing the desilt works, they insisted that top officials from Revenue, PWD and Water Resource Management to inspect and instruct the officials to speed up the works. Similarly, they demanded to withdraw the plan of establishing a sand quarry on Kollidam riverbed.

They also wanted a tripartite meeting of farmers, revenue and agriculture department officials to be convened before release of water from Mettur dam.

The government should ensure 50 per cent subsidy for the soil tests and vehicles meant for the process should visit each village panchayat in a certain interval, they demanded.

Meanwhile, a group of farmers, led by farmers’ confederation state vice-president R Sukumaran, staged a protest demanding to waive crop loans and disbursement of compensation for crops loss in February. The Collector, who received their petition, assured to forward it to the department concerned.