TIRUCHY: The Coordination Committee of All Farmers Associations released a charter of 38 demands after a meeting convened in Tiruchy on Saturday and announced that it had decided to support the political alliance that will accept all demands.
Speaking to reporters, the president of the Coordination Committee, PR Pandian, said, "Tamil Nadu has been losing its rights on the Cauvery and Mullaiperiyar as the State government failed to approach the court properly. The Tamil Nadu government had also failed to initiate proper legal action against Karnataka, which had been planning to prepare a DPR for its proposed dam at Mekedatu across the Cauvery. Our Chief Minister has not opposed the move of Karnataka at any point."
Pandian also claimed that the DMK government has not fulfilled even a single promise given to the farmers. "The DMK promised to construct at least 1,000 check dams, writing off the educational loans of the children of farmers, toll exemption for farmers and various other facilities, but nothing has been fulfilled," Pandian claimed.
He also charged that the DMK promised Rs 2,500 per quintal of paddy and Rs 4,000 per ton of sugarcane. "If the MSP was provided in 2021 as per the promise, the farmers could have received Rs 3,300 per quintal of paddy this year," he said.
Pandian also noted that the government detained the farmers under the Goondas Act when they fought for their rights. "The farmers are always threatened by the police. Actions are initiated by the DMK government against the farmers even in the cases booked during the previous AIADMK government," he alleged.
Stating that the farmers' associations have decided not to support the DMK alliance in the upcoming assembly polls. "We have set as many as 38 demands and have sent them to all the political parties. We will back the alliance only if it promises to fulfil our demands. It would be finalised during the farmers' conference scheduled on March 31 in Tiruchy," Pandian said.