TIRUCHY: The State government's pre-agriculture budget consultation held in Thanjavur on Friday saw farmers demanding distribution of one lakh free agricultural power connections every year, waiver of crop loans as promised ahead of the Assembly polls, and a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 3,500 per quintal for paddy.
The interaction was chaired by Agriculture Minister R Vinoth in the presence of Cabinet colleague AM Shahjahan. Farmers from nine delta districts — Tiruchy, Pudukkottai, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam and Cuddalore — participated in the meeting.
The farmers urged the government to immediately withdraw the previous government's decision to establish a SIPCOT in the Protected Special Agriculture Zone. They said around four lakh farmers across the State have been waiting for free power connections for years and sought distribution of at least one lakh connections annually based on the seniority of applications.
They also sought desilting of the Grand Anicut head, the Cauvery and Vennar rivers, with adequate funding to ensure the free flow of water. Citing rising input costs and higher wages for agricultural labourers, the farmers pressed for implementation of the promised MSP of Rs 3,500 per quintal for paddy and a fresh crop loan waiver.
The farmers further demanded that paddy with up to 22 per cent moisture content be accepted during procurement through a permanent government order and called for the establishment of a war room to address the Cauvery issue.
Responding to the demands, Vinoth said the State government was planning new agricultural initiatives to make the State a leader in food production.
"We are planning to make an agricultural revolution in the State. All the suggestions and demands will be considered and incorporated in the agriculture budget," he assured.
Agriculture Production Commissioner P Shankar, former ministers Govi Chezhiaan and R Vaithilingam, MLAs R Vijay Saravanan, Durai Chandrasekaran, G Annadurai, N Ashok Kumar, Poondi K Kalaivanan, Marimuthu and Nivedha Murugan, among others, attended the meeting.