The former Chief Minister and AIADMK’s former coordinator, O. Panneerselvam, on Tuesday demanded that farmers in the Cauvery delta, who could not go ahead with raising paddy during the ongoing kuruvai cultivation season, be paid a compensation of ₹35,000 per acre.
In a statement, he referred to reports in sections of the media that farmers over an extent of 92,000 acres in Tiruvarur district had abandoned the paddy crop for want of water. The low realisation of the Cauvery water from Karnataka was the principal reason. He faulted Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for not raising the issue of poor receipt of the Cauvery water during the recent meeting of leaders of the Opposition in Bengaluru.
Mr. Panneerselvam urged Mr. Stalin to take steps for securing water from Karnataka so that the crop in the remaining areas could be protected.
