TIRUCHY: Farmers from Tiruvarur staged a protest at the grievance redressal meeting chaired by the District Collector V Mohanachandran on Wednesday, claiming that the crop damage assessment was partial and demanded the resurvey of damage and proper compensation.

Several farmers feared they might be left out of the list and also said that the insurance claims had not been released for the past four years. They also raised slogans in support of the demands in the meeting hall.

"The officials who had assessed the crop damage had left the interior parts of the district. Initially, the app-based assessment became a problem due to various issues, including network problems, and so the assessment was held only in areas where they could get a network. However, after the conventional method of assessment was announced, the officials were hesitant again to go to the interior villages, and this resulted in several farmers who lost their crops being missed in the assessment," said Nannilam G Sethuraman.

He also appealed that every farmer who had lost the crop should get the compensation, and so it would be fair to reassess the damage and then get the compensation, he said.

Peralam V Balakumaran said, the Peralam Vanchiyaru is thickly covered by vegetation, and the water has not reached places like Tirumeeyachiyur, Pozhakudi, Peralam and Kottur. The desilting and removal of vegetation from the river is essential from the river head itself, he said.
Farmer Needamangalam Maruthappan appealed that the samba procurement would commence from January and the government should increase the samba incentive to Rs 200, which would help the farmers. 
Responding to the farmers, Collector Mohanachandran said, the samba and thaladi target for Tiruvarur district was fixed at 1.37 lakh hectare, but it exceeded 1.45 lakh hectare and crop loans to eligible farmers were disbursed through the Cooperative Societies through which 51,558 farmers availed the crop loans to the tune of Rs 407.28 crore.
"The grievances of the farmers would be received as petitions, and the same would be forwarded to the government through the proper channel," he assured. DRO Kalaivani and others were present.