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Farmers stage a road blockade near Ramanathapuram Collectorate on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: L. BALACHANDAR
Braving heavy rain, farmers, including womenfolk, from eight villages in Mudukalathur block in Ramanathapuram district staged an agitation which lasted over three hours on Thursday.
They were demanding relief from insurance companies as their crops had withered due to want of water during the last farming season.
The agitators, led by Tamizhaga Vaigai Pasana Vivasayigal Sangam president M.S.K. Packianathan, assembled near the Collectorate. When DSP Raja and RDO Sridhar Manickam held talks, the agitators said that they would like to get assurance from the Collector.
As there was no sign of them being invited for talks with the Collector, a section of the agitators turned restless. Announcing that they are going to stage a road blockade, they rushed out of the Collectorate and squatted on the Madurai-Rameswaram highway. Joint Director of Agriculture came and explained steps taken so far. However, they were not impressed with his assurance.
At this juncture, there was a heavy rain. While the women went away to take shelter, the men continued to stay on the middle of the road blocking vehicular traffic.
Collector B. Vishnu Chandran called the representatives and informed them about the steps taken. The government had given ₹132 crore as compensation due to drought and ₹300 crore had been received from insurance firms. Around 100 villages may not get any relief. The insurance firms had been asked to reassess the damages. “Only a few days ago, the villagers had represented and it is not fair to rush immediately demanding relief,” he said.
Later, the farmers’ representatives told reporters that they were not satisfied with the response of the Collector as such promises in the past were not kept. “We are yet to get compensation of ₹6 crore for loss of chilly in 2021,” they claimed.
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