Demonetisation: Call CM’s meet to discuss fallout, ryots tell Modi

Thanjavur Cauvery Protection Committee secretary Swamimalai S Vimalanathan stated that IB (Intelligence Bureau) inputs would not reveal the seriousness of the situation in Tamil Nadu, especially in the Delta districts. “Though the government allowed use of banned notes to pay for specific services, it does not include agricultural operations. 

Due to that farming activities have been stunned here as the ryots are unable to buy urea, fertiliser or seed using the demonetised notes,” he said.  “Moreover, most of the primary agricultural cooperative banks (PACB) and credit societies in Tamil Nadu are registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Act 1976. Hence the recent RBI announcement on the agricultural societies are not applicable to them,” he argued. In such a scenario across the country, inputs from the Chief Ministers could be valuable in providing remedial measures to the farmers, he added. 

Regarding the extension of time limit for paying crop insurance premium by a fortnight, Vimalanathan said that it would not benefit the Delta farmers, as such premium payments are collected by the credit societies. He cited the example of the 2009 floods when the entire premium for the period amounting to crores of rupees to be paid by the Tamil Nadu government to the National Agricultural Insurance Scheme was waived off on the request of Delta farmers. A similar move could be followed this time too, he added.