Release water, not empty promises, says Edappadi K Palaniswami

CHENNAI: AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday criticised the TVK government for announcing a Rs 134-crore special package for farmers while failing to release water from the Mettur Dam for Kuruvai cultivation on the customary June 12 date.

In a statement, Palaniswami said farmers across the Cauvery delta region were shocked and worried over the government's failure to open the dam as scheduled. He noted that Kuruvai cultivation largely depends on the timely release of water from the Mettur reservoir.

The AIADMK leader alleged that the government had already failed to fulfil its promise of waiving more than Rs 10,000 crore in agricultural loans and had instead written off only small amounts, leading to protests by farmers.

He described the announcement of the Rs 134-crore special package as another deceptive move and said the government should have prioritised measures to ensure water release for cultivation.

Palaniswami further claimed that three-phase power supply to farmers, which he said was provided round the clock under the AIADMK regime, had been reduced to 18 hours by the present government. He also alleged that unscheduled power cuts across the State were affecting farmers' ability to operate pump sets.

Accusing the government of failing to understand farmers' hardships, Palaniswami said it had offered only assurances instead of addressing their immediate concerns.

He urged the government to recognise the seriousness of the issue and take all necessary steps to release water from the Mettur Dam and ensure that it reaches the tail-end areas of the Cauvery delta region.