Members of ‘Tamil Maanila Vivasaya Thozhilalar Sangam’ staged a protest here on Tuesday demanding crop insurance for farmlands damaged during the heavy downpour in 2023-24.
S.M. Jeyaseelan, district secretary of the forum, said that the small-scale farmers who were dependent on their lands, owing to technical reasons, were denied crop loans. “As the farmers are reeling under heavy loss they incurred during the last year’s rain, they are still struggling to come out of the penurious condition,” he added.
Making another point regarding the 100-day job scheme, he said that as many of the agricultural labourers would remain unemployed during off-seasons, they solely led their life out of the income earned through the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). While data suggests that the number of days of work given under the MGNREGA scheme is far less than other States, Tamil Nadu government should make efforts to provide work on all 100 days, Mr. Jeyaseelan said.
As monetary assistance given to the farmers under Chief Minister’s ‘Uzhavar Pathukappu Thittam’ was stopped since June 2023, the dues should be disbursed at the earliest, he said.
Source - https://www.thehindu.com
