EPS calls Agri budget nothing but delusion

Chennai: Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami expressing disappointment over the agriculture budget tabled in the Assembly on Tuesday said the DMK government has betrayed farmers under the guise of presenting an exclusive annual financial plan for the sector.

“Agriculture Minister read out the budget for nearly two hours, but there was no sign of benefits or major projects benefitting the farmers. They have also failed to fulfill their poll promises of Rs 2,500 per quintal of paddy and Rs 4,000 per tonne of sugarcane,” the former chief minister and AIADMK leader said talking to reporters at the Secretariat.

The budget is nothing but a delusion and farmers were dejected over it, he said and continued that the ruling DMK government was not concerned about the welfare of farmers. They have failed to take necessary measures to procure the paddy through the direct procurement centres on time. Several lakhs of paddy bags were spoiled as they were left in the open in rains, he said and noted that at present, nearly 60,000 paddy bags were spoiled in the rains in Virudhachalam in Cuddalore district. The state government has also abandoned the kudimaramarathu projects, which was launched during the AIADMK regime under his leadership to revitalise the waterbodies and harvest rainwater for farming activities. The government has also not allocated adequate funds for the Cauvery-Gundar interlinking project that would benefit farmers in five districts, he said.