Farmers break 39 eggs ‘representing’ MPs from Tamil Nadu

Soon after the meeting commenced, farmers led by Kakkarai R Sukumaran, the state vice-president of the Joint Movement of the Tamil Nadu Farmers Associations, raised slogans against failure of the governments at the centre and state to get Cauvery water for the last six years for Kuruvai. 

They also faulted the 39 MPs for failing to get the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) constituted. The farmers protested against the State Government’s ambiguous stand about the construction of a new dam at Mekedatu. After raising slogans and breaking eggs, the farmers alleged that many were not given crop insurance claim. And the few who got it were only given a paltry sum. Though the Collector pacified the farmers, many walked out.

At the grievance meeting at Madurai Collectorate, on Thursday, farmers said the crop insurance scheme was a failure. Farmers from Saptur panchayat said that last year they had paid a premium of Rs 600 per acre and were assured of Rs 24,000 per acre in case of crop failure. But, they were given an insurance amount of just Rs 400.

Collector, K Veera Raghav Rao, replied that there were several discrepancies in most villages in Madurai district and they are collecting details to know what had gone wrong. The Collector also said that 18,770 farmers had insured their crops in the district in 2016-17 and out of them 6,859 farmers had cultivated paddy. Out of 6,859 farmers, 5,337 had received insurance amount. This year, a new crop insurance scheme called the Pradhan Mantiri Fasal Bima Yojana was being implemented, said the Collector. He assured that it would be beneficial and asked the farmers to insure the crops.